Will the Minister provide a breakdown by health board of the specialist psychologists currently available to young people with cancer?
The Welsh Government does not set out the level of psychological support that patients with specific conditions may require, as this will be dictated by the person’s own particular needs. Nor do we hold the information requested in relation to funding and access to specialist psychologists for young people with cancer.
Improving the access, quality and range of psychological therapies for children, working age and older adults is a priority area within our Together for Mental Health Delivery Plan 2019-2022. The plan also includes a number of discrete actions including the development of a ‘Children and Young People Matrices’ guidance document.
The Quality Statement for Cancer published on 22 March 2021, sets out our expectations for what quality cancer services should look like including that person centred care should be at the heart of the way cancer services are delivered.