Cancer consultant fears for patients in Wales

Cancer patients "will come to harm" in Wales as services face "unprecedented" challenges, says one of Wales' leading experts.

Prof Tom Crosby, who is the medical director of the Wales Cancer Network, said services in Wales "don't have the capacity" needed to treat patients.

He said the Covid pandemic has "exposed that fragile system".

It comes as researchers said it could take more than a decade to clear cancer-treatment backlogs in England.

However, figures for treating cancer patients in Wales showed numbers were similar or exceeded pre-pandemic levels in recent months.

In July 2021, 1,600 patients newly diagnosed with cancer started their first treatment, the third highest on record since data on suspected cancer referrals began being collected.

But the figures also revealed that while treatment for cancer patients remained stable - it was well below the target set by the Welsh government.

At least 75% of patients should start treatment within 62 days of first being suspected of cancer.

But in July, just under 62% of patients began that treatment.

"We are facing problems at a scale we haven't seen before," said Prof Crosby, who is also one of the Velindre Cancer Centre's senior cancer consultants in Cardiff.

"At the moment we feel that the service isn't running as it should do.

"Staff are often tired, staff are often having to isolate and be away."

Prof Crosby told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast programme: "It's not realistic to think that services can be so disrupted and patients ultimately won't come to harm.

"Yes, patients will come to harm - not just from the direct effects of Covid, but the effects on the wider healthcare system.

"These are unprecedented times and they are going to be a huge challenge."

A recent briefing report from the Welsh NHS Confederation for Senedd members said Velindre Cancer Centre was experiencing a 25% reduced capacity in radiotherapy due to required infection control.

It also claimed referrals were above pre-Covid levels, and managing a 20% increase in systemic anti-cancer therapies.

The concerns raised by Prof Crosby follow Thursday's NHS figures in Wales, which were the worst ever performance recorded for hospital A&E units.

Waiting list times were also another record-breaking month.

Speaking to Radio Wales on Friday, Health Minister Eluned Morgan said the NHS was facing the worst pressures since the health service was established.

"This is a perfect storm - we've got everything coming at us, we've got Covid, we've got those long waiting lists, we've got flu vaccines that we need to get out, we've got the Covid boosters," she said.

"All of these things are coming together."

The minister said she was meeting NHS leaders and local authorities on a weekly basis, and the Welsh government was investing an additional £240m in the health service.

"We've already set out a recovery plan, we've asked health boards to come forward with the plans they'd like to implement, and we're now giving money for them to implement those plans," said Ms Morgan.

"But you can't switch these things on overnight, you can't magic up staff who are able to work in these facilities, so it is going to be a while before we are going to be able to address the backlog."