Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:04 pm on 12 October 2021.
Thank you, First Minister, and I'm only sorry that I had to raise this with you today, but such are my concerns. First Minister, NHS diagnostic and therapy service waiting times for July this year show an eleven-fold increase in the number of people waiting over eight weeks for one of seven key tests used to diagnose cancer, and startlingly, one third of patients in the Betsi Cadwaladr region do not start their first definitive treatment in the month within 62 days of first being suspected of cancer. I've been really shocked recently to hear of some of my constituents and patients of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board learning that they are being informed, on some occasions, of a life-changing, devastating cancer diagnosis simply by the telephone rather than a personable face-to-face discussion, and this has caused a lot of further anxiety to my constituents. Even more troubling, I know of one constituent who, following a stage 4 terminal cancer diagnosis, was not even advised of the treatment options available at the time of this diagnosis, instead, just saying simply that a referral will be made at some stage going forward to Wrexham or Liverpool. That was until I made several representations on their behalf.