Rare Cancers

Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services – in the Senedd at 3:02 pm on 23 March 2022.

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Photo of Delyth Jewell Delyth Jewell Plaid Cymru 3:02, 23 March 2022

Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. Diolch. Forgive me, Minister, it's because it's on a very similar—well, the same topic. You'll be familiar with the case of my constituent, Maria Wallpott. Earlier this year, she won her case in the High Court to be allowed potentially life-saving cancer treatment. The treatment would have been automatically available to patients elsewhere in the UK, but she was refused by a committee that is tasked with taking into account economic factors when deciding whether to approve treatments in Wales. Several similar cases have been raised with me; most recently, a constituent whose father has a cancer that needs treatment but was told that funding was, again, unavailable in Wales. Mrs Wallpott's case has shown that the decision to refuse that treatment was unlawful. Now, other patients are being refused cancer treatments that could save their lives, and I'm concerned that decisions are being made based on funding instead of on only clinical deliberations. So, Minister, could you tell me, again, in addition to what you've said already on this, why the situation is so different in Wales? And will the outcome of Maria Wallpott's case have any effect on how these decisions are made, please?