Senedd Members Slam ‘Appalling’ Delays in Cancer Treatment Services
Wales’ health secretary faces criticism over alarming cancer service delays
Wales, Cancer Services, NHS, James Evans, Jeremy Miles
Cardiff: Senedd members are really fired up about the delays in cancer treatment. They grilled Wales’ health secretary after a report showed some serious issues in the system.
James Evans, the shadow health secretary, pointed out that the Audit Wales report highlights a lot of mismanagement in cancer services. It’s pretty alarming.
He asked Jeremy Miles, the health secretary, about the confusion and inefficiencies patients are facing. It’s frustrating to see so much money spent but still not hitting treatment targets.
Evans mentioned that some patients are waiting over 100 days to start their treatment. That’s just unacceptable and can really affect their chances of survival.
He urged the Welsh Government to step up, fix the leadership issues, and cut through the red tape so patients can get the care they need without these awful delays.
Jeremy Miles acknowledged the report and agreed that too many people are waiting too long for their treatments. He did say that in some areas, targets are being met, but overall, it’s not good enough.
Evans, who represents Brecon and Radnorshire, raised concerns about staff shortages and how they’re impacting patient care. It’s a real problem that needs addressing.
He pointed out that despite warnings from groups like the Wales Cancer Alliance, the government hasn’t put together a solid workforce strategy.
In response, Miles mentioned a 27% increase in workforce numbers but admitted that recruiting in certain areas, like radiology, is tough.
He also agreed that relying too much on agency staff isn’t sustainable. Evans wrapped up by saying there’s growing public outrage over the number of managers compared to frontline healthcare workers.