In this column, Richard Pugh, Head of Partnerships for Macmillan Cancer Support in Wales explains that concerns over NHS Wales is taking a toll on the wellbeing of people with cancer, how waiting times for treatment show that Wales' cancer care is failing to cope with the demand, and the desperate need for more staff in the system.
In late 2022, research by Macmillan showed that growing concerns over NHS Wales were taking their toll on the wellbeing of people with cancer. Almost two in three people with cancer in Wales (65%) said the NHS was one of their biggest concerns.
More than half of people with cancer (55%) were worried about how the pressures being faced by the NHS will affect their chances of survival. It is not difficult to see why. Cancer treatment times data shows that 2022 was the worst year so far for Wales’ new cancer treatment targets. More people than ever before were left with their lives hanging in the balance and facing agonising delays in life-saving cancer treatments.
