Wales is falling behind...If none of this makes sense, please read the original post. Can I just first say a massive thank you to everyone that has emailed members of the cross party group for Cancer (CPGC). My social media inbox's have been overwhelmed from people wanting to help. If I did not manage to get back to you then apologies, - this would have been because I had already gotten a reply from the Government/ Cancer groups and was busy working through their sent attachments. Now without further adieu lets get into what happened in the last 24 hours. 1) David Rees MS got back to me on Twitter and assured me they had meeting minutes for a more recent meeting with the CPGC. It had just not been updated on their website yet. 2) I have been seeking advice on the Welsh health system/ politics from a lovely chap called Andy, and he works for Cancer Research UK. He sent me the report from an inquiry into cancer waiting times when the CPGC met in November 2020. What is relevant here is the fact this report calls for the need of a new cancer strategy... He also let me know the last CPGC meeting took place last Tuesday and now the Senedd has gone into a 'pre-election' period, meaning this wont even be looked at again until the elected party has settled in (In May). For clarity and transparency please see my reply below, but for privacy reasons I cannot share Andy's original email. 3) The bombardment of emails from you guys may have worked - got a response from the chair of the CPGC and my MS David Rees. He agreed to meet up with me to discuss our concerns. 4) The Senedd had questions to the minister of health today (Vaughan Gething) and the controversial new quality statement was questioned. David Rees kindly mentions 'yours truely' and a few of my pressing concerns. Despite asking specifically what the quality statement would do, Gething, in true politician fashion throws pointless words that sound good, until you decipher through the outdated plans and vague statements and realise it's just lip service. It is only discussed in about 7 minutes have a look below: The transcript is here - look for 14.10 Access to Cancer Treatments and follow up until Leanne Wood's question. 5) I got a response from a representative of Gething. As expected it is incredibly lack-luster and echos the same wishy washy points from the video. To get an idea, below is just one paragraph from the email and 'for fun' I have dissected it with my own thoughts. Just to highlight some frustrations to y'all.
"These quality statements are meant to set out the standards and outcomes that the Welsh Government expects to see. They will be central to how the NHS is asked to plan its services in the future and this ensures improving treatment quality in key clinical services has the highest possible priority in service planning". - Ok, so these quality statements are meant to set standards for the future... cool. What are these standards exactly? you know for people that don't work in health or the government? can you lay it out for unwashed li'l me? "The quality statement is the Welsh Government’s policy intent" Yeah, you said that, but in a different way - "and therefore the Welsh Government is accountable." Oh brill! who should I contact to discuss how the outdated cancer strategy failed? because it fell short by approx 10% for diagnostics? Good thing that enquiry happened. Am I being pedantic? yeah? ok no drama I'll just ring the government up and ask who's to blame for me collapsing on a roadside last year... "It is only the first step in replacing the Cancer Delivery Plan for Wales and will be followed by detailed NHS planning at the national and local level to deliver those priorities." Hang on now! Isn't everything on hold until after the elections in May? don't forget 'settle in' time. You mean to tell me we need to wait just shy of half a year (Jan 2021-End of May 2021) with no plan? and no REAL accountability. Is the Welsh government aware approximately 9000 people die of cancer in Wales every year? "The Welsh Government will then hold the NHS to account for this planning and delivery of healthcare." Wait wait wait..... So in future, you will then make the NHS accountable if they don't follow your abstract quality statement? Without a consistent structure with tangible goals how will you know if they have failed it? How will they even know? Ok... I'll stop now, you get the idea. They also sent me the 2019 pathway, which was nice of them and the imaging statement of intent to show me how they aim to improve diagnostic investigations. But if you scroll to the bottom you'll see the "next steps" are to report back to ministers in... wait for it... 2018! 6) Oh and I've been told there wont be much point in a petition at the moment because of the 'pre election' state of the Senedd.... So guys there's the update so far. If I have missed the mark on anything please feel free to let me know, I am learning about this process too. With all do respect I used to make drinks and paint for a living, I did not want a BA in cancer, an MA in politics and a freaking PHD in hospital administrative procedures. I am thinking on how to reply to some of the emails I have received. But it will have to wait as you may be able to tell from my writing, I think I am loosing the plot slightly. Tassia OUT! |
A ' no holds' page about my life with incurable advanced Breast Cancer, in the hope it will give a realistic, detailed account to other young women going through the unfortunate illness.
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