Will the Minister provide a breakdown of current patient pathways waiting more than 62 days for cancer diagnosis and treatment as of 17 March 2021?
I have discussed cancer recovery in numerous meetings with NHS and third sector stakeholders. Whilst the notes of these meetings are not routinely published, I can confirm they have considered a range of issues, including the reduction in referrals caused by the pandemic and the impact of COVID-19 on activity.
As a result of these and other discussions, the Welsh Government published a recovery plan for health and care services on 22 March, which includes specific actions for cancer. This plan highlights the need to ensure the right balance between local solutions and innovation alongside national or regional solutions which minimise variability.
Suspected cancer performance data for the month of March will not be available until May. We do not publish data on patients waiting for treatment; our publications summarise activity undertaken in any given month.