Written Assembly Questions tabled on 19 September 2014 for answer on 26 September 2014
R - Signifies the Member has declared an interest.
W - Signifies that the question was tabled in Welsh.
(Self identifying Question no. shown in brackets)
Written Questions must be tabled at least five working days before they are to be answered. In practice, Ministers aim to answer within seven/eight days but are not bound to do so. Answers are published in the language in which they are provided, with a translation into English of responses provided in Welsh.
To ask the Minister for Economy, Science and Transport
Darren Millar (Clwyd West): What consideration has the Welsh Government given to extending participation in the Welsh Public Sector Broadband Aggregation initiative to Welsh credit unions? (WAQ67731)
Answer received on 25 September 2014
The Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology (Julie James): Participation in the Welsh Public Sector Broadband Aggregation is restricted to public sector organisations carrying out public functions.
To ask the Minister for Health and Social Services
Nick Ramsay (Monmouth): Will the Minister make a statement on Welsh Government support for people in Wales who are living with dementia? (WAQ67724)
Answer received on 25 September 2014
The Minister for Health and Social Services (Mark Drakeford): The Welsh Government is committed to improving services and support for people with dementia and their families. Together for Mental Health identifies our priorities now and in the future, namely:
- Earlier diagnosis and more timely interventions;
- Joint working across the health, social care, and third sectors, and collaboration between all key agencies;
- Improving information and support, including advocacy services, for people with the illness and their carers;
- Training for those delivering care.
In addition, the Living Well with Dementia information pack, funded by Welsh Government and developed and distributed by the Alzheimer's Society, is a UK first. A source of invaluable advice, the pack has been welcomed by professionals and patients, their families and carers.
We are also continuing to fund the 24/7 bilingual Wales Dementia Helpline for those affected by dementia and their families and earlier this year funded the Alzheimer's Society's Dementia Ffrindiau (Dementia Friends) initiative, which is designed to increase wider understanding, augment advocacy services and roll-out training for those delivering care. The aim is to bring the issue of dementia to the forefront of people's minds in communities across Wales.
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): What action is the Welsh Government taking to reduce the incidence of lung cancer and improve survival rates? (WAQ67725)
Answer received on 26 September 2014
Mark Drakeford: The Cancer Implementation Group have recognised the need to improve outcomes for lung cancer patients and have therefore prioritised a programme of work for the next financial year to drive activity in this area. We recognise lung cancer is the highest cause of cancer mortality in Wales and lung cancer patients in the Cancer Patient Experience Survey rate their experience below the survey average.
The programme of work will have three strands:
Cancer Intelligence - exploring what the data is telling us about lung cancer in Wales and supply new information to support the programme;
Public awareness and earlier diagnosis - improving how we engage the public in a targeted way to encourage an earlier appointment with their GP if they have concerns;
Clinical Pathway - Improving skills among health professionals in being aware of and dealing with lung cancer; improve current priority areas across the lung cancer clinical pathway.
We do not at this stage have any plans for a national public awareness campaign as we initially need to explore what the data is telling us about access to diagnosis in Wales. We are also awaiting the review of the "Be Clear on Cancer" campaign in England to better understand the impact of national campaigns.
As far as surgical resection rates are concerned a plan has already been agreed by the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee to increase access to this form of surgery. The Welsh Government, alongside Welsh scientists and researchers are at the forefront of efforts to deliver a shared vision for the UK to be the best place to develop, and have adopted, stratified medicine.
Welsh Government, through its National Institute for Social Care and Health Research, is funding a number of initiatives to support research in this field including, for example, the expansion of the genomics facility at the Wales Gene Park, which has allowed next generation sequencing technology to be established in Wales and are helping put Wales at the cutting edge of genetics research; the Cancer Genetics Biomedical Research Unit, the Wales Cancer Bank., the Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre and the Cancer Registered Research Group. It is testimony to the excellence of Welsh science, supported by Welsh Government investment, that Cardiff is one of only two UK locations to be awarded funding by Cancer Research UK for both clinical and technical hubs for Phase 1 of its pilot study work in support of its stratified medicine initiative.
Re-assessing the way NHS Wales responds to the uptake and diffusion of new innovations in genetics is a challenging area, which is why we have made 25 million pounds available over three years through the new Health Technology Fund. Through this fund, we have already invested in the very latest technology for gene sequencing at the All Wales Genetics Laboratory. This will provide facilities to develop stratified medicine approaches – modernising our NHS services and ensuring that Wales continues to be at the forefront in this area.
The Cancer Implementation Group will expect this programme, that involves a phased approach, to prioritise the requirements for lung cancer, as the focus for the next financial year, unless not clinically appropriate.
Survival rates for patients diagnosed with lung cancer for (a) one, (b) five, and (c) ten years are:
(a) 27.8% for 2007-2011
(b) 6.5% for 2003-2007
(c) Ten year survival rates are not routinely published; however the most recent report published in 2011 shows the 10 year survival rate for individuals in Wales at 4.3% for 1995-1999 (published in 2011).
In addition, the changes to the GP contract for 2014/15 requires GP contractors to review the care of all patients newly diagnosed with lung and digestive system cancers between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2014 using a Significant Event Analysis Tool. The learning and actions from this review will be shared with the GP cluster network and local health board, and the outcomes of the GP cluster analysis will be included in the GP cluster network annual report to be published by 31 March 2015.
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Minister outline what the (a) one; (b) five; and (c) ten-year lung cancer survival are and what plans the Welsh Government has to improve lung cancer outcomes across Wales? (WAQ67726)
Answer received on 26 September 2014
The Minister for Health and Social Services (Mark Drakeford): The Cancer Implementation Group have recognised the need to improve outcomes for lung cancer patients and have therefore prioritised a programme of work for the next financial year to drive activity in this area. We recognise lung cancer is the highest cause of cancer mortality in Wales and lung cancer patients in the Cancer Patient Experience Survey rate their experience below the survey average.
The programme of work will have three strands:
Cancer Intelligence - exploring what the data is telling us about lung cancer in Wales and supply new information to support the programme;
Public awareness and earlier diagnosis - improving how we engage the public in a targeted way to encourage an earlier appointment with their GP if they have concerns;
Clinical Pathway - Improving skills among health professionals in being aware of and dealing with lung cancer; improve current priority areas across the lung cancer clinical pathway.
We do not at this stage have any plans for a national public awareness campaign as we initially need to explore what the data is telling us about access to diagnosis in Wales. We are also awaiting the review of the "Be Clear on Cancer" campaign in England to better understand the impact of national campaigns.
As far as surgical resection rates are concerned a plan has already been agreed by the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee to increase access to this form of surgery. The Welsh Government, alongside Welsh scientists and researchers are at the forefront of efforts to deliver a shared vision for the UK to be the best place to develop, and have adopted, stratified medicine.
Welsh Government, through its National Institute for Social Care and Health Research, is funding a number of initiatives to support research in this field including, for example, the expansion of the genomics facility at the Wales Gene Park, which has allowed next generation sequencing technology to be established in Wales and are helping put Wales at the cutting edge of genetics research; the Cancer Genetics Biomedical Research Unit, the Wales Cancer Bank., the Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre and the Cancer Registered Research Group. It is testimony to the excellence of Welsh science, supported by Welsh Government investment, that Cardiff is one of only two UK locations to be awarded funding by Cancer Research UK for both clinical and technical hubs for Phase 1 of its pilot study work in support of its stratified medicine initiative.
Re-assessing the way NHS Wales responds to the uptake and diffusion of new innovations in genetics is a challenging area, which is why we have made 25 million pounds available over three years through the new Health Technology Fund. Through this fund, we have already invested in the very latest technology for gene sequencing at the All Wales Genetics Laboratory. This will provide facilities to develop stratified medicine approaches – modernising our NHS services and ensuring that Wales continues to be at the forefront in this area.
The Cancer Implementation Group will expect this programme, that involves a phased approach, to prioritise the requirements for lung cancer, as the focus for the next financial year, unless not clinically appropriate.
Survival rates for patients diagnosed with lung cancer for (a) one, (b) five, and (c) ten years are:
(a) 27.8% for 2007-2011
(b) 6.5% for 2003-2007
(c) Ten year survival rates are not routinely published; however the most recent report published in 2011 shows the 10 year survival rate for individuals in Wales at 4.3% for 1995-1999 (published in 2011).
In addition, the changes to the GP contract for 2014/15 requires GP contractors to review the care of all patients newly diagnosed with lung and digestive system cancers between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2014 using a Significant Event Analysis Tool. The learning and actions from this review will be shared with the GP cluster network and local health board, and the outcomes of the GP cluster analysis will be included in the GP cluster network annual report to be published by 31 March 2015.
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): What action is the Welsh Governments taking to increase the surgical resection rates for non-small-cell lung cancer? (WAQ67727)
Answer received on 26 September 2014
Mark Drakeford: The Cancer Implementation Group have recognised the need to improve outcomes for lung cancer patients and have therefore prioritised a programme of work for the next financial year to drive activity in this area. We recognise lung cancer is the highest cause of cancer mortality in Wales and lung cancer patients in the Cancer Patient Experience Survey rate their experience below the survey average.
The programme of work will have three strands:
Cancer Intelligence - exploring what the data is telling us about lung cancer in Wales and supply new information to support the programme;
Public awareness and earlier diagnosis - improving how we engage the public in a targeted way to encourage an earlier appointment with their GP if they have concerns;
Clinical Pathway - Improving skills among health professionals in being aware of and dealing with lung cancer; improve current priority areas across the lung cancer clinical pathway.
We do not at this stage have any plans for a national public awareness campaign as we initially need to explore what the data is telling us about access to diagnosis in Wales. We are also awaiting the review of the "Be Clear on Cancer" campaign in England to better understand the impact of national campaigns.
As far as surgical resection rates are concerned a plan has already been agreed by the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee to increase access to this form of surgery. The Welsh Government, alongside Welsh scientists and researchers are at the forefront of efforts to deliver a shared vision for the UK to be the best place to develop, and have adopted, stratified medicine.
Welsh Government, through its National Institute for Social Care and Health Research, is funding a number of initiatives to support research in this field including, for example, the expansion of the genomics facility at the Wales Gene Park, which has allowed next generation sequencing technology to be established in Wales and are helping put Wales at the cutting edge of genetics research; the Cancer Genetics Biomedical Research Unit, the Wales Cancer Bank., the Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre and the Cancer Registered Research Group. It is testimony to the excellence of Welsh science, supported by Welsh Government investment, that Cardiff is one of only two UK locations to be awarded funding by Cancer Research UK for both clinical and technical hubs for Phase 1 of its pilot study work in support of its stratified medicine initiative.
Re-assessing the way NHS Wales responds to the uptake and diffusion of new innovations in genetics is a challenging area, which is why we have made 25 million pounds available over three years through the new Health Technology Fund. Through this fund, we have already invested in the very latest technology for gene sequencing at the All Wales Genetics Laboratory. This will provide facilities to develop stratified medicine approaches – modernising our NHS services and ensuring that Wales continues to be at the forefront in this area.
The Cancer Implementation Group will expect this programme, that involves a phased approach, to prioritise the requirements for lung cancer, as the focus for the next financial year, unless not clinically appropriate.
Survival rates for patients diagnosed with lung cancer for (a) one, (b) five, and (c) ten years are:
(a) 27.8% for 2007-2011
(b) 6.5% for 2003-2007
(c) Ten year survival rates are not routinely published; however the most recent report published in 2011 shows the 10 year survival rate for individuals in Wales at 4.3% for 1995-1999 (published in 2011).
In addition, the changes to the GP contract for 2014/15 requires GP contractors to review the care of all patients newly diagnosed with lung and digestive system cancers between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2014 using a Significant Event Analysis Tool. The learning and actions from this review will be shared with the GP cluster network and local health board, and the outcomes of the GP cluster analysis will be included in the GP cluster network annual report to be published by 31 March 2015.
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Does the Welsh Government have any plans to commission a national public awareness campaign of the signs and symptoms of lung cancer? (WAQ67728)
Answer received on 26 September 2014
Mark Drakeford: The Cancer Implementation Group have recognised the need to improve outcomes for lung cancer patients and have therefore prioritised a programme of work for the next financial year to drive activity in this area. We recognise lung cancer is the highest cause of cancer mortality in Wales and lung cancer patients in the Cancer Patient Experience Survey rate their experience below the survey average.
The programme of work will have three strands:
Cancer Intelligence - exploring what the data is telling us about lung cancer in Wales and supply new information to support the programme;
Public awareness and earlier diagnosis - improving how we engage the public in a targeted way to encourage an earlier appointment with their GP if they have concerns;
Clinical Pathway - Improving skills among health professionals in being aware of and dealing with lung cancer; improve current priority areas across the lung cancer clinical pathway.
We do not at this stage have any plans for a national public awareness campaign as we initially need to explore what the data is telling us about access to diagnosis in Wales. We are also awaiting the review of the "Be Clear on Cancer" campaign in England to better understand the impact of national campaigns.
As far as surgical resection rates are concerned a plan has already been agreed by the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee to increase access to this form of surgery. The Welsh Government, alongside Welsh scientists and researchers are at the forefront of efforts to deliver a shared vision for the UK to be the best place to develop, and have adopted, stratified medicine.
Welsh Government, through its National Institute for Social Care and Health Research, is funding a number of initiatives to support research in this field including, for example, the expansion of the genomics facility at the Wales Gene Park, which has allowed next generation sequencing technology to be established in Wales and are helping put Wales at the cutting edge of genetics research; the Cancer Genetics Biomedical Research Unit, the Wales Cancer Bank., the Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre and the Cancer Registered Research Group. It is testimony to the excellence of Welsh science, supported by Welsh Government investment, that Cardiff is one of only two UK locations to be awarded funding by Cancer Research UK for both clinical and technical hubs for Phase 1 of its pilot study work in support of its stratified medicine initiative.
Re-assessing the way NHS Wales responds to the uptake and diffusion of new innovations in genetics is a challenging area, which is why we have made 25 million pounds available over three years through the new Health Technology Fund. Through this fund, we have already invested in the very latest technology for gene sequencing at the All Wales Genetics Laboratory. This will provide facilities to develop stratified medicine approaches – modernising our NHS services and ensuring that Wales continues to be at the forefront in this area.
The Cancer Implementation Group will expect this programme, that involves a phased approach, to prioritise the requirements for lung cancer, as the focus for the next financial year, unless not clinically appropriate.
Survival rates for patients diagnosed with lung cancer for (a) one, (b) five, and (c) ten years are:
(a) 27.8% for 2007-2011
(b) 6.5% for 2003-2007
(c) Ten year survival rates are not routinely published; however the most recent report published in 2011 shows the 10 year survival rate for individuals in Wales at 4.3% for 1995-1999 (published in 2011).
In addition, the changes to the GP contract for 2014/15 requires GP contractors to review the care of all patients newly diagnosed with lung and digestive system cancers between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2014 using a Significant Event Analysis Tool. The learning and actions from this review will be shared with the GP cluster network and local health board, and the outcomes of the GP cluster analysis will be included in the GP cluster network annual report to be published by 31 March 2015.
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Minister detail what plans the Welsh Government has to deliver access and delivery of stratified medicines and molecular diagnostics to patients in Wales now, and in the future, to help improve lung cancer outcomes in Wales? (WAQ67729)
Answer received on 1 October 2014
Mark Drakeford: The Cancer Implementation Group have recognised the need to improve outcomes for lung cancer patients and have therefore prioritised a programme of work for the next financial year to drive activity in this area. We recognise lung cancer is the highest cause of cancer mortality in Wales and lung cancer patients in the Cancer Patient Experience Survey rate their experience below the survey average.
The programme of work will have three strands:
Cancer Intelligence - exploring what the data is telling us about lung cancer in Wales and supply new information to support the programme;
Public awareness and earlier diagnosis - improving how we engage the public in a targeted way to encourage an earlier appointment with their GP if they have concerns;
Clinical Pathway - Improving skills among health professionals in being aware of and dealing with lung cancer; improve current priority areas across the lung cancer clinical pathway.
We do not at this stage have any plans for a national public awareness campaign as we initially need to explore what the data is telling us about access to diagnosis in Wales. We are also awaiting the review of the "Be Clear on Cancer" campaign in England to better understand the impact of national campaigns.
As far as surgical resection rates are concerned a plan has already been agreed by the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee to increase access to this form of surgery. The Welsh Government, alongside Welsh scientists and researchers are at the forefront of efforts to deliver a shared vision for the UK to be the best place to develop, and have adopted, stratified medicine.
Welsh Government, through its National Institute for Social Care and Health Research, is funding a number of initiatives to support research in this field including, for example, the expansion of the genomics facility at the Wales Gene Park, which has allowed next generation sequencing technology to be established in Wales and are helping put Wales at the cutting edge of genetics research; the Cancer Genetics Biomedical Research Unit, the Wales Cancer Bank., the Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre and the Cancer Registered Research Group. It is testimony to the excellence of Welsh science, supported by Welsh Government investment, that Cardiff is one of only two UK locations to be awarded funding by Cancer Research UK for both clinical and technical hubs for Phase 1 of its pilot study work in support of its stratified medicine initiative.
Re-assessing the way NHS Wales responds to the uptake and diffusion of new innovations in genetics is a challenging area, which is why we have made 25 million pounds available over three years through the new Health Technology Fund. Through this fund, we have already invested in the very latest technology for gene sequencing at the All Wales Genetics Laboratory. This will provide facilities to develop stratified medicine approaches – modernising our NHS services and ensuring that Wales continues to be at the forefront in this area.
The Cancer Implementation Group will expect this programme, that involves a phased approach, to prioritise the requirements for lung cancer, as the focus for the next financial year, unless not clinically appropriate.
Survival rates for patients diagnosed with lung cancer for (a) one, (b) five, and (c) ten years are:
(a) 27.8% for 2007-2011
(b) 6.5% for 2003-2007
(c) Ten year survival rates are not routinely published; however the most recent report published in 2011 shows the 10 year survival rate for individuals in Wales at 4.3% for 1995-1999 (published in 2011).
In addition, the changes to the GP contract for 2014/15 requires GP contractors to review the care of all patients newly diagnosed with lung and digestive system cancers between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2014 using a Significant Event Analysis Tool. The learning and actions from this review will be shared with the GP cluster network and local health board, and the outcomes of the GP cluster analysis will be included in the GP cluster network annual report to be published by 31 March 2015.
Andrew RT Davies (South Wales Central): Will the Minister confirm whether the Welsh Government will commit to expanding the recent pilot of the 62 day suspected cancer pathway for all lung cancer patients across Wales? (WAQ67730)
Answer received on 29 September 2014
Mark Drakeford: I am not yet in a position to make this commitment. Between May and August this year, health boards piloted a single suspected cancer pathway. Each health board focused on a different tumour site. Betsi Cadwalder University Health Board undertook the lung cancer pathway pilot. Due to the length of the pathway, we are still in the process of collecting all the data on patients treated whilst on this pilot which we then be analysed. As I originally stated, prior to the pilot commencing, I will review the findings and engage with patients and clinicians in determining whether recommendations from the pilot are adopted.