Plaid Cymru has committed itself to improving care for cancer patients in Wales. Ceredigion's AM and Plaid Cymru Shadow Health Minister Elin Jones said that currently, patients in Wales were losing out because of excessive waiting times in Wales for basic diagnostic tests, and due to a postcode lottery for some drugs and treatments.
Plaid Cymru has set out its plans for a Cancer Contract which will:
• Bring waiting times down – to set a target that 95% of patients get diagnosis or the all clear within 28 days by establishing three dedicated diagnostic test centres across Wales.
• Establish a New Treatments Fund to grant access to new medicines based on what the doctor prescribes, not based your postcode.
• Provide one-to-one support from specialist nurses for each patient before, during and after treatment.
Plaid Cymru Shadow Health Minister Elin Jones said; “People in Wales who have suspected cancer face some of the longest waiting times in the whole UK, sometimes fail to access drugs that are available elsewhere, and face unnecessary waits for screening or diagnosis. Plaid Cymru has set out our plans to improve the care for cancer patients. Plaid Cymru’s Cancer Contract will target these problems, speeding up diagnoses, giving patients more support through their illness, and widening access to new drugs and treatment. Dealing with a cancer diagnosis is difficult enough, and a Plaid Cymru government will do all we can to improve care for patients, and minimise that stress.”
Read more on the Cancer Contract here.