9. Statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services: Cancer Services Improvement Plan

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 6:08 pm on 31 January 2023.

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Photo of Russell George Russell George Conservative 6:08, 31 January 2023

Thank you, Minister, for the statement today. It's very much welcome, and the cancer plan is very much welcome indeed also. It was, until this morning, that Wales was the only area of Britain that didn't have a cancer plan, and the cancer plan is well overdue. But, on a positive note, we've got the cancer plan today, and it's very much welcome. 

What I did particularly like, as I looked through the cancer action plan, was that there are a whole lot of timescales and goals, with dates attached to the goals and targets as well. That's very much appreciated. I suppose the obvious question there is: do you think that the timelines in there, and the dates that are published alongside the goals, Minister, are reasonable? And do you think that they're reasonable to be achieved, I suppose, is the obvious question to ask?

Funnily enough, I was just looking back, Minister, and it was a year ago next Wednesday that I led a Senedd debate on cancer services in Wales. At the time, we talked about—I certainly talked about—the negative side effects for many patients and the focus that was needed on recovery, and many people worrying about additional costs as well. And, at the time, I asked for some measures, such as free dental care for cancer patients, and suggested that that could be offered as part of their recovery, especially now in terms of the cost-of-living pressures that we're all aware of. I couldn't see anything in the plan in regard to that, and I wonder if that's something that could be examined, Minister. 

At the time, I also mentioned the number of people entering hospital in Wales for cancer treatment had fallen by over 40,000 in the first year of the pandemic. So, I would be interested if you could speak to that point, really, about how the plan specifically helps those who have missed out, potentially, on diagnosis as well.

Prior to the pandemic, the Welsh cancer intelligence unit showed that Wales had the lowest survival rates for six cancers, and the second lowest for three in the UK. We were already behind England, Scotland and Northern Ireland when it came to female, breast, lung, colon, rectal and stomach cancers. So, I would ask you, Minister, in that regard, if you are confident that Wales is going to be in a much better position when this plan expires. I suppose I should just ask you about the time frame of the plan. The plan is for three years. I would ask why three years. I'm not suggesting it's wrong; I'm just asking why, particularly, a three-year timeline, I suppose. But, also, I can see some stakeholders, whilst they welcomed the plan, and they welcomed the three-year plan, are also suggesting that there should be a longer term plan. So, I can see you looking at that, Minister, and thinking 'Oh, no he's asking for another plan now', but, no, just to get an understanding on what your response would be to stakeholders who say that something more longer term is needed also.

Also, I'd like to ask about the involvement of health boards in the development of the plan. Are you satisfied that local health boards will be able to deliver the goals set out in the plan, and particularly, I suppose, I'm asking that question in the context of the workforce issues that we're all aware of as well.

I also wanted to just touch upon the experience of cancer patients in Wales. In your statement, you maintain that 92 per cent of patients rated their care 'good' or 'very good'. Yet, results published from a charity survey highlight that cancer services are still massively failing patients. Getting information out to patients was an area that was shown to be largely inadequate, with 30 per cent of respondents stating they did not have possible side effects fully explained to them, or they weren't fully explained to them. And 52 per cent stated that they did not receive all the necessary information about how to manage their health and well-being following their treatment. So, Minister, I want to understand from you how confident you are that everyone will receive their personalised needs assessment promised in the cancer improvement care plan, when 70 per cent of respondents said they did not even receive a written care plan after their diagnosis in 2021-22? Thanks.