“Not good enough” that 1 in 4 patients do not start cancer treatment within the target time

“Not good enough” that 1 in 4 patients do not start cancer treatment within the target 62 days

Plaid Cymru response to NHS waiting lists, and cancer waiting times 

Responding to the latest figures from Welsh Government which show that 600,000 patients are on NHS Wales waiting lists, and that 1 in 4 patients do not start cancer treatment within the target 62 days, Plaid Cymru’s spokesperson for Health, Rhun ap Iorwerth MS said,

“It’s been pointed out how much waiting lists have grown during the pandemic, but the truth is that these were already too high before the pandemic. Simply returning to ‘pre pandemic normal’ is not good enough. 

“To turn things around, the Labour Welsh Government must introduce a concrete, ambitious recovery plan, that puts NHS Wales in a better position than we were at the start of the pandemic. This must include a workforce strategy to attract and retain health and care workers. 

“As a matter of urgency, the plan must prioritise early cancer diagnosis, bringing the undiagnosed into the system and providing effective care for those patients in later stages of cancer who will need more complex treatments.”