Chris Bryant: Cancer services need big improvements

Chris Bryant says he is "just not going to let go" of the issue

A Welsh Labour MP has called for significant improvements in Welsh cancer services to save lives.

Chris Bryant said Welsh Labour ministers should target a shortage of radiologists and pathologists.

The Rhondda MP had successful surgery for skin cancer earlier this year.

Last month Wales became the first UK nation to introduce a single waiting time target for cancer patients, in an effort to speed up diagnosis and improve survival rates.

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With a 62-day target for treatment, the clock will start for all patients as soon as cancer is suspected not just for those with clear symptoms.

But Mr Bryant told BBC Wales more needs to be done.

"Cancer survival rates in Wales are among the worst in Europe, though we've seen significant improvements in recent years, " he said.

"If we don't have enough radiologists and pathologists to just get through the higher demand that there is now, then the real danger is that we won't be able to have the swift diagnosis and swift treatment that saves lives.

"My anxiety is that we're going to take a step backwards because this year, too few people have been admitted into training for pathology and radiology."

Radiologists carry out complex procedures including cancer tumour therapies

The MP suggested there should be "golden hellos" to attract recruits to certain parts of Wales.

The average age of radiologists in Wales is higher than in the rest of the UK and more than a quarter of consultant posts in pathology are vacant.

Mr Bryant said: "I want us to raise our game in Wales and I will speak very openly to my colleagues in the Welsh Assembly.

"I'm an MP. Some people may say: 'It's none of your business Bryant, stick out of it.'

"But I'm afraid, as someone who's had a cancer diagnosis himself this year - and I was lucky that it came back pretty quickly - because of that, I'm just not going to let go."

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A Welsh Government spokesperson said: "We are committed to working with the NHS in Wales to ensure people affected by cancer are diagnosed and treated as early as possible.

"We have already established a new National Imaging Academy and have doubled the radiology training programme. Important work is also underway to improve diagnostic capacity in radiology, pathology, endoscopy and genomics."

'Passionate'

Prof Tom Crosby, National Clinical Director for Cancer in Wales, said demand for services was rising at an unprecedented rate.

"Workforce are key to meeting this demand and a planned increase in both medical and non-medical workforce training as well as measures to support and retain the staff we do have is required," he said.

"Workforce and service redesign as well as adoption of new technologies are also important and will support, but won't replace, the need for the careful workforce planning to meet the future needs of patients in Wales."

On Mr Bryant's own treatment for a Stage Three melanoma on the back of his head, the MP said that he was now on medication twice a day and felt very fit and healthy.

" I hope we've just managed to catch it in the nick of time, and in a sense that makes me all the more passionate about wanting to make sure we can catch everybody else's cancer," he said.