8. Will the Minister make a statement on bowel cancer screening in Wales? OQ57097

Bowel Screening Wales offers screening every two years to men and women aged between 60 and 74. From October, that age range was extended to 58 and 59-year-olds. Over the next few years, the age range will extend down to those aged 50, and the test sensitivity will be increased.

Diolch, Minister. Firstly, before talking about bowel cancer, I'd like to take this opportunity to remember our colleagues who have sadly lost their lives to this horrible disease in recent years. Bowel cancer is the second biggest cancer killer in Wales, and that is despite it being very treatable if it's detected and treated early. Nine out of 10 people do survive bowel cancer if it's detected and treated early. And, as you've already pre-empted what I was going to say next, the Welsh Government has moved into a new phase of optimising the bowel screening programme setting out the national endoscopy action plan, and inviting men and women aged 58 to 59 to undertake that screening, and moving further into the next phase of people aged 50.

Bowel screening is crucial in that preventative approach and identifying those who may be at risk of developing bowel cancer. Will you, Minister, agree with me that it's hugely important that people take part in that bowel screening if and when they are invited to do so?

I absolutely agree with you and I think it's a very cruel form of cancer, this, of course, and I think that we should remember those people who have lost their lives to this very cruel cancer. 

I am pleased to say that, actually, we are consistently overachieving the targets that we'd set in terms of the uptake rates for people invited to have that cancer screening. So, it stands at about 65 per cent, whereas our target was about 60 per cent, so I'm pleased to see that happening; it's always good to see a rise beyond that, but I think we need to underline that screening is a vital part of that early diagnosis, and the sooner you catch cancer, the better it is because we can treat it quicker.

I thank the Minister and Deputy Ministers.