At First Minister’s Questions (FMQs) today, The Leader of the Welsh Conservatives challenged the First Minister to explain the Welsh Government’s consistent failure to hit the 62-day cancer treatment target.
At least 75% of patients should start cancer treatment within 62 days of first being suspected of having cancer. In October, the latest figure available, only 59.4% of patients began their treatment on target.
Darren Millar MS raised the case of a constituent who was diagnosed with prostate cancer in March 2025, the operation he needed taking 158 days to be delivered. He has yet to start the further treatment that he needs, despite being told that he has a persisting, aggressive form of prostate cancer, due to challenges in accessing PET scans in North Wales due to poor planning by the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board:
Commenting, Leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Darren Millar MS said:
“I am disappointed in the First Minister’s response in the Senedd today, the NHS and cancer care are clearly not a top priority for her.
“The Welsh Labour Government, propped up by Plaid, has consistently failed to hit their cancer treatment targets. The situation is particularly dire in North Wales where bungling by the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has resulted in delays in cancer patients accessing the urgent scans and treatment they need.
“The lack of access to timely treatment is causing unnecessary distress and putting patients at risk of harm. Only the Welsh Conservatives have a credible plan to fix our Welsh NHS, clear the waiting time backlog, and deliver the timely treatment people need."
ENDS
Notes to editors: The full FMQs exchange will be published here in due course.
