NHS Wales has announced that cancer treatment targets are continuing to improve, with 98.3% of patients – 794 out of 808 people – referred via the non-urgent route where cancer was not initially suspected starting treatment within 31 days of the decision to treat them.
New figures released on 20 July show the number of patients treated within NHS cancer waiting times improved from the previous month’s figure of 96.7%.
The NHS Wales target is for 98% of patients referred via the non-urgent route start treatment within 31 days.
The figures also show that more patients – a total of 88.6% of patients, or 534 out of 603 people – who were newly diagnosed via the Urgent Suspected Cancer route started treatment within the 62-day target time.
NHS Wales says that this figure represents a 1.8% percentage point increase compared to April – and is the best performance since November 2014.
In May 2016, the highest number of people for three years started cancer treatment within the target time.
Welsh Assembly Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport, Vaughan Gething, said:
“We are treating more people than ever for cancer in Wales – and, crucially, cancer survival rates continue to increase year on year.
“It’s encouraging that health boards are improving performance and ensuring that more people are starting treatment within the target times – in particular, I’m pleased to see that that health boards have met the demanding 98% 31-day target and are improving against the 62-day target.
“In the last twelve months, we have seen a 3.6% increase in the number of patients who started treatment within the 62-day target.
“We are seeing real improvements – not just against these targets for treatment times, but in outcomes.
“More than half of people will now survive five years after their diagnosis – and premature mortality for cancer has fallen around 14% in the past ten years.
“These statistics show we are seeing real improvements in treatment times for patients in Wales.”
In March 2016, cancer treatment targets in Wales saw the best improvement in the number of patients being treated within the target waiting time for six months.
A total of three of Wales’ seven health boards achieved 90% target rate or higher in January – Including Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board at 92.9%, the second consecutive month the health board had achieved more than 90%.
In January 2016, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board achieved more than 90% (92.6%) for the third consecutive month – and Hywel Dda University Health Board achieved 90.9%, representing its best January performance since 2012.
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