Health and Care Minister says government will work with experts to produce ambitious strategy for publication in February.
The Welsh government has announced it will develop a 10-year National Cancer Strategy to transform the way the health service prevents, diagnoses and treats the disease.
Cancer is the leading cause of death in Wales, and half the population will be affected by it in their lifetime. But the government acknowledges that current performance of cancer services, in terms of both treatment and outcomes, lags behind where it should be. Indeed, Mabon ap Gwynfor MS, Cabinet Minister for Health and Care, says a lack of national direction and strategic ambition has compromised the fight against cancer.
He wants to change that by developing an ambitious vision for cancer care in Wales, founded on proactively addressing the preventative causes of cancer, boosting rates of early diagnosis and developing optimal pathways of care from diagnosis to cure, or end of life care. The new strategy will also strengthen accountability and equality.
To achieve this and ensure the new strategy reflects the latest evidence and scientific understanding, the government will work with international partners including the European Cancer Organisation. It is already engaging with Wales Cancer Alliance – a body representing more than 30 cancer charities. The NHS and charity sector will also be actively involved throughout the process.
The plan is to publish the new 10-year strategy to coincide with World Cancer Day on 4 February 2027.
In addition to the strategy, the Welsh government is also developing ‘right to be forgotten’ principles that will help cancer survivors access financial services, and a travel and accommodation fund for children and young people attending cancer appointments. A feasibility study has been commissioned for a new rapid diagnostic centre in Powys.
Mabon ap Gwynfor, Cabinet Minister for Health and Care MS, says: ‘For patients waiting too long for diagnosis, for families in rural communities who face greater barriers to care, and for the clinicians working hard to deliver world-class treatment with insufficient national coordination, this strategy matters. Wales has not introduced a national cancer strategy since 2006. In the two decades since, treatments have transformed, diagnostic technology has advanced, the needs of our population have changed, and our understanding of cancer has deepened dramatically.
‘This Welsh government is moving at pace, and it is moving with purpose on this priority of national importance. Every person in Wales deserves the best possible chance against cancer. This strategy will deliver it.’
Photo by National Cancer Institute / Unsplash
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