Plans outlined to reduce cancer waiting times in Wales

Wales is set to become the first UK nation to introduce a new single waiting time target for cancer patients to speed up diagnosis.

Health Secretary Vaughan Gething said moving towards a single cancer waiting time was the right thing to do, meaning that the clock will start on cancer treatment for all patients as soon as it is suspected, not just those with clear symptoms.

Amid concerns that the current cancer targets do not reflect long delays some patients face waiting for diagnosis or treatment, the two-month target from next June is expected to eventually replace the two-track system. This will speed up diagnosis and improve poor survival rates for the 17,000 patients who get cancer every year.

Implementation of the new single cancer pathway will be supported with a £3 million investment  from the Welsh Government from next financial year.

The Wales Cancer Network said the single cancer pathway was ambitious but the aim was to improve patient chances as well as their experience and also be a ‘platform’ for improving access to diagnostic screenings and tests, which would be coming under increasing pressure.

Getting said: “Cancer has become the single biggest cause of premature death in Wales and the UK. The NHS in Wales is consistently treating more cancer patients than ever before. However, we can’t get away from the fact we have not met the targets often enough but we must also recognise that around 92 per cent of people with cancer are being treated within target time across both pathways. We want to ensure that anyone who experiences cancer in Wales has access to timely and appropriate treatment that will deliver the best possible outcome.

“Proposals for the single cancer pathway have been clinically led and have wide support across the clinical community. Through dual reporting of the single cancer pathway, Wales will be the first UK nation to move towards a single waiting time measure for cancer. It is reflective of our aspiration to support early diagnosis of cancer and ensure fast and effective treatment for all patients. The new way of measuring people’s waits for cancer treatment will improve quality and outcomes for our cancer patients and I am confident that it is the right approach for Wales.”

Elsewhere, a new specialist role at Princess of Wales Hospital has helped to reduce waiting times and speed up treatment for people with cancer. The hospital was the first in Wales to appoint an advanced radiography practitioner in Computerised Tomography Colonography, a specialist examination of the large bowel. The new service saw the department shortlisted for a 2018 NHS Wales Award.