AberdareOnline

Community news and information for Aberdare and the Cynon Valley

Macmillan calls for National Cancer Strategy as new Data from the Welsh Government shows the worst cancer waiting times monthly figure for a year

Team @ AberdareOnline010 mins

Macmillan Cancer Support calls for a 10-year cancer plan in Wales as cancer waiting times stagnate

  • New data from the Welsh Government shows performance against the national target for cancer waiting times fell to 57%in January, the worst monthly figure since September 2024[i]
  • Wales is the only UK nation without a comprehensive long-term strategy.
  • David Maitland, 71, from Rhyl, was diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer in 2009 resulting in treatment including a prostatectomy, radiotherapy and hormone therapy. “If my PSA had been tracked properly, treatment could have restarted sooner and maybe stopped the tumours spreading possibly avoiding years of painful side effects.”
  • Neil Ackers, 52, from Prestatyn, was fortunate to have a PSA test through his employer North Wales Police as he was too young to have it via the NHS but still had to battle for a GP referral for a scan. “That referral saved my life.”

Health spokespeople from the main political parties gathered this week at the Senedd in a hustings event with people affected by and living with cancer, organised by Macmillan Cancer Support. While a range of topics were covered, the message from many was clear: Wales needs a strategic, long‑term plan if outcomes are to improve.

Deep inequities persist, with the Welsh Government’s own figures showing people in the most deprived areas of Wales facing a 52% higher risk of dying from cancer than those in the least deprived[ii].

And now further official data has shown that cancer waiting times are at risk of stagnating in 2026, with January showing the worst monthly performance for more than a year[iii]. Just 57% of people started treatment within 62 days from first being suspected of having cancer (target: 75%).

This is why in the buildup to the Senedd election on Thursday 7 May, Macmillan Cancer Support is calling for the introduction of a considered long-term plan. The Audit Wales investigation and MAG (Ministerial Advisory Group) report from 2025 were both clear in their feedback to the Welsh Government – a long-term strategic approach is the best way to see improvements.

Denmark is the strongest international example of the impact of a long-term plan. Once comparable to Wales, it has transformed outcomes through 20 years of successive, funded cancer plans, backed by political momentum and system‑wide accountability. Wales has no equivalent long‑term framework, and the gap is widening while it languishes in crisis mode.

Macmillan’s key calls

  • A 10-year National Cancer Strategy – long-term, inclusive, and accountable, led by a dedicated Minister for Cancer.  
  • A well-supported cancer workforce – with equal access to training, career progression, and data-driven planning.  
  • A revolution in cancer data and digital infrastructure – empowering patients and professionals alike.  
  • A holistic, person-centred cancer system – with access to emotional, physical, and practical support wherever and whenever it’s needed.

Rhian Stangroom-Teel, Macmillan’s External Affairs Manager for Wales, said:

“There are pockets of incredible good practice, and NHS staff do fantastic work to provide as excellent a service as they can. But they are doing it in the absence of a long-term strategic plan, encompassing workforce planning, data and digital infrastructure that underpins good planning.

“The problem is that services here have grown organically, leading to a fragmented system with unwarranted variations, unclear accountability and persistent missed targets. 

“As a result, cancer care is failing too many people. We urgently need a National Cancer Strategy.”

David Maitland, 71, from Rhyl, was diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer in 2009 after a PSA test enduring surgery, radiotherapy and years of hormone therapy. David underwent a prostatectomy but later, because of his treatment, he needed a double mastectomy and endured long term incontinence. Support from the incontinence nurse and the North Wales Prostate Cancer Support Group became crucial. As a result, in 2016 he asked for a break from treatment.

“Three years ago, my PSA levels began rising again but I was not given a scan for many months and this caused a great deal of anxiety on my part but also meant that when I was eventually scanned in March 2025 they discovered two tumours and I had to return to hormone therapy.

“If my PSA had been tracked properly, treatment could have restarted sooner and maybe stopped the tumours spreading possibly avoiding years of painful side effects. If you give men, the tools early it could transform recovery.”

David was motivated enough by his experience to become group secretary of the North Wales Prostate Cancer Support Group and he particularly supports Macmillan’s call for a revolution in cancer data and digital infrastructure.

Neil Ackers, 52, from Prestatyn, was fortunate to have a PSA test through his employer North Wales Police as he was too young to have it via the NHS but still had to battle for a lifesaving GP referral.

“I had no symptoms and was ineligible for NHS screening. I received a high PSA reading but my GP initially dismissed it. It was only because I insisted that I managed to get a referral for a scan. That referral saved my life.”

Diagnosed with prostate cancer Neil underwent a Radical Prostatectomy in Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, but men now have to travel to England as the robotic equipment now required for this procedure is only available there.

“It shouldn’t matter where in Wales you live, you should have access to the best treatment options available and to the right support – emotional and physical.”

Neil has founded many North Wales Prostate Cancer Support Groups and has been recognised for his outstanding work raising awareness of Prostate Cancer in Wales.

Macmillan Hustings at the Senedd

People living with cancer, Macmillan professionals, and health spokespeople including Mabon ap Gwynfor MS (Plaid Cymru), James Evans MS (Reform UK), Peter Fox MS (Welsh Conservatives), Callum Higgins (Welsh Labour) and Ian Chandler (Green Party)  came together at The Senedd on Tuesday 24 March to discuss cancer care in Wales.

Related Posts

Leave a Reply

Back To Top