North Wales MS Mark Isherwood has today led a Member Debate in the Senedd calling for a “faster, fairer, funded pathway” in Wales for people with Pancreatic Cancer, throughout their diagnosis, treatment and care.
Bringing forward the Debate, which was drafted alongside the charity Pancreatic Cancer UK, Mr Isherwood said that with a fast and fair treatment and care journey, and the funding to make it happen, more people would have a chance to survive Pancreatic Cancer, and expressed concern that “Wales has lagged behind, and now ranks 31st out of 33 countries with comparable data on five year survival for people with Pancreatic Cancer”.
He said:
“Pancreatic cancer is the deadliest common cancer, affecting 500 people a year in Wales, and 10,000 people a year across the UK. 3 in 5 of those are diagnosed at a late stage. Sadly, over half will die within three months of diagnosis and only 6% in Wales will survive for more than five years.
“Whilst outcomes for other cancers have improved, things have stayed the same for people with Pancreatic Cancer.
“The survival gap between Pancreatic and other cancers has doubled in the last 50 years.
“7 in 10 people in the UK diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer are receiving no treatment – either because their cancer is detected too late, or because their referrals take too long for treatment to be effective.”
He added:
“Pancreatic Cancer UK recently launched their ‘Don’t Write Me Off’ campaign, calling for a faster, fairer, fully funded treatment and care pathway for people with Pancreatic Cancer.
“Developed alongside a group of experts, healthcare professionals and people with lived experience, this pathway would improve treatment and survival rates and bring about better outcomes for people affected by Pancreatic Cancer.
“They state that: ‘more than 250 people across Wales could live longer and better lives over the next five years if this pathway was implemented now. Earlier and Faster diagnosis is needed, people with pancreatic cancer have no time to wait. With no specific screening or tests, and vague symptoms which are often mistaken for less serious conditions, diagnosis for pancreatic cancer comes far too late for far too many’.
“The NHS Wales Collaborative has developed a National Optimal Pathway for Pancreatic Cancer - but we’re still waiting for the Welsh Government to fully fund and implement this.
“Pancreatic Cancer UK therefore calls on the Welsh Government to implement the Welsh National Optimal Pathway for suspected and confirmed pancreatic cancer, which ensures a 21- day treatment standard from diagnosis of pancreatic cancer to first treatment, and to provide long-term funding to Health Boards so they can implement and sustain the pathway for Pancreatic Cancer to help ensure earlier and faster diagnosis for patients.
“The Welsh Government should commit to funding specialist Pancreatic Cancer roles in every Health Board, so that everyone gets advice, care and support from a dedicate expert professional, from the point of diagnosis.”
Mr Isherwood added:
“Setting a higher bar for data around cancer experiences could not only make Wales a leader in the UK for understanding and acting upon health inequalities in cancer care, but also recognise that people with Pancreatic Cancer urgently need a faster, fairer, funded pathway throughout their diagnosis, treatment and care.”