Cancer services in North Wales praised by Deputy Health Minister

The dedication and hard work of NHS staff in providing cancer care to people across North Wales has been praised by Deputy Minister for Health Vaughan Gething.

The latest statistics for NHS cancer waiting times show Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board is one of the best performing health boards in Wales.

The figures for August – the latest available – show 91.4% of people in North Wales started treatment within 62 days of being referred by their GP with suspected cancer – the best performance against this target in Wales. And 97.5% of people started treatment within 31 days of being diagnosed with cancer.

Nationally, more people than ever are being diagnosed with cancer but survival rates are increasing thanks to advances in screening, diagnosis and treatment.

Mr Gething pictured) said: “I want to thank the hard work and dedication of all the staff at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board in providing cancer care and treatment to the people in North Wales.

“The official statistics consistently show the health board is one of the best performers in Wales when it comes to the number of people being seen within our ambitious cancer waiting time targets.

“I want the health board to build on this so we can continue to improve the excellent care provided to people with cancer in North Wales.”