Macmillan warns Wales is lagging years behind on cancer care as targets missed

Responding to the latest cancer treatment waiting times data for Wales, Glenn Page, Policy and Public Affairs Manager for Macmillan Cancer Support said:

“Today’s data shows that far too many people living with cancer are still facing devastating treatment delays, and hardworking healthcare professionals are struggling to stay afloat in a system that simply cannot cope.

“Cancer can affect every part of someone’s life — from healthcare and finances to work, housing and relationships — but right now the healthcare system simply does not have the resource to provide the person-centred care that people desperately need.

“The latest Macmillan research shows that survival rates for at least two common types of cancer in Wales are only now reaching what countries such as Sweden and Norway were already achieving way back in the 2000s. We are lagging many years behind on cancer care. If Wales was matching the best in Europe then many more of the people who are diagnosed with cancer every year would survive their cancer for at least five years.

“It doesn’t have to be this way. The Welsh Government desperately needs to listen to the concerns of people living with cancer and make good on the promises of its Cancer Improvement Plan; by delivering real change and improvement within cancer care so cancer patients get the timely and quality care they urgently need.”

Ailsa Guard, 48, from Swansea, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021. She waited 141 days to start treatment and has faced continual delays throughout her cancer experience.

She said: “I have had delays, cancellations and confusions at every stage of my care. And I have had to push and fight at every stage. I class myself as quite strong and determined. Without that I seriously believe that I would have simply been lost to the system and not able to cope at all because of the lack of information, the lack of support and the anxiety of endless cancellations and delays. Being a ‘difficult’ case seems to have constantly seemed to lead to less support, less urgency rather than more.”

If you or someone you love is affected by cancer, we’re here, whatever you need to ask. Call Macmillan’s free support line on 0808 808 00 00, open everyday 8am to 8pm.”

Key facts

• In April 2024, more than 800 people with cancer in Wales waited more than 62 days to start treatment from first being suspected of having cancer — this was approaching half (46%) of all those who started treatment in that month
• Performance dropped substantially from the previous month and was worse than in the same month of the past four years, showing that NHS cancer services in Wales are still struggling under intense pressure
• Recent Macmillan analysis shows 2023 was the worst year on record for cancer waiting times in Wales
• The national cancer waiting times target in Wales has never been met since first being introduced, and an interim recovery target set by the Welsh Government has also been missed
• For some cancer types, performance remains very concerning. For example, in April 2024 only one in four people with head and neck cancer (26.4%) started their treatment on time
• New Macmillan analysis shows that survival rates for at least two common types of cancer in Wales (colon and rectal cancer in women) are only just now reaching the levels that Sweden and Norway were already achieving in the early 2000s