
Hundreds in Wales face long waits for cancer treatment
Hannah Buckingham, senior external affairs adviser at Macmillan, said: "Today's data is yet more evidence that who you are and where you live continues to shape people's experience of cancer significantly – and that must change."
The charity said cancer must become 'an urgent priority' for the Welsh Government ahead of the upcoming Senedd elections.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


BBC News
19 hours ago
- BBC News
Minimum alcohol pricing increase should help addicts, committee says
Any income made from increasing the minimum unit price for alcohol in Wales should be reinvested in addiction services, the chair of a Senedd committee has Welsh government said it was considering the benefits of raising the unit price for alcohol beyond the current one woman, from Gwynedd, who has battled alcoholism said raising the price would only cause "more suffering" to families of Alcohol Change UK said the price should be raised to 65p but added that more must be done to help the most vulnerable. Iola Ynyr, from Caernarfon in Gwynedd, recently won the Welsh Book of the Year prize for her series of autobiographical stories talking about her battle with has now been sober for seven years but does not believe raising the minimum price of a unit would have the desired effect."I don't think it would change the drinking patterns of people who are dependent on alcohol."Anyone who is addicted or dependant is going to find a way of getting more because that's the illness and how it effects people."The need for alcohol increases and you have to have it, and if that doesn't happen in a situation where there's family, it's them who suffer."Iola said that people may cut back on eating or try to cut costs, "especially if there are children it's going to make the whole situation worse with more suffering to follow". Iola Ynyr believes more funding should be invested in recovery services that include the arts and creative ways to deal with Cymru's Peredur Owen Griffiths is the chair of the Substance Use and Addiction Cross Party Group, and said studies show the increase would drive the number of people being hospitalised and dying down."Vast research has been done that shows the policy is working and people are getting help and reducing their alcohol consumption, and what that means is it's keeping people out of hospitals and out of the morgue."He said any additional money raised should go to "frontline services" and the "harm reduction elements that people are crying out for".Public Health Wales figures show between 2019 and 2023 there was a rise of more than 50% in alcohol-related Change UK said it supported raising the minimum unit price for alcohol to 65p but also raised concerns that the most deprived areas could be of the charity, Andrew Misall, said that making alcohol cheaper was not the added that those who had an alcohol addiction needed to be supported so they did not Welsh government said it was considering the benefits of raising the minimum unit price for alcohol in Wales, after initial research showed its positive impact since it was introduced in added it was launching a public consultation and would take those into consideration before deciding how to proceed.


BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
Singleton Hospital homes revamped to help parents with sick children
Parents of babies in neonatal care in a Welsh hospital will be able to use refurbished homes to stay close to their children following a fundraising in Cwtsh Clos, on the site of Swansea's Singleton Hospital, have been upgraded to feature new furniture, smart televisions and calming garden spaces."Parents who go through the most difficult experience of their lives are able to have that little bit more comfort," said one mother whose newborn daughter spent time in critical care at the fundraising campaign has been supported by musician Mal Pope, whose grandson Gulliver was cared for in the neonatal unit before he died. Pope said Gulliver's story was "going to be very personal", but he decided to share it with others."It's a hard story to tell, but what I realised is that little Gulliver has already touched so many lives," he told BBC Radio Wales. He said Gulliver had contributed to people raising money for the houses which was important because many parents travel a long way to the hospital, including those who are "very tired" when their children are ill."You're at your worst moment when you see a little helpless baby struggling," he added that while his family's story "didn't turn out as I would've liked", there were many "wonderful stories of families coming through this together".One of the houses has been named after Gulliver, which Pope said his family was "absolutely delighted" about."He's part of our family – we talk about him all the time as being one of my grandchildren, part of our family."It's a joy in the sadness. It shows you that out of great sadness some wonderful things can happen." Bethan Wyn used one of the houses several years ago when her daughter Mari, three, spent three months in critical Mari was born "early and critically unwell" in Bristol, Bethan said she was initially reluctant to be transferred to Singleton Hospital as although it was closer to home, they would still be an hour from where their daughter was being looked after."Having that roof over our heads during the most difficult time of our lives meant the world to us – it meant we were a stone's throw away from our little girl during the night."She said she and her family were "grateful" for the fundraising efforts. Scott James and his partner first used a Cwtsh Clos home when their son, Louie, was born 17 weeks early and died after six days in 2019. They returned when their second son Jacob, who is now four, was born 14 weeks prematurely. Scott said that although he and his partner tried to stay positive through both experiences, "the stress levels were through the roof".Although the houses they used "needed some refurbishment", he said staying nearby was a great help, and that being back brought "very mixed emotions". "It was a really tough time, but we can look back with a smile certainly," he said. Scott said he found the transformation to the homes "incredible", saying it gave him "goosebumps". "Seeing the houses now, it's just 'wow'. I'm so proud of everyone involved," he close to the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit, the homes have been designed to give families "a place to unwind and recharge", said Swansea Bay Health Charity.

Leader Live
a day ago
- Leader Live
Nightingale House Hospice in Wrexham praised by MS
Member of the Senedd for Wrexham, Lesley Griffiths, described Nightingale House Hospice as a 'pillar of our community' and commended its 'wraparound service' for individuals with life-limiting conditions during a recent visit. Ms Griffiths said: "Nightingale House has provided vital care and support to patients and their families for more than 30 years and it is clearly appreciated by the local community. "It provides not just end-of-life care, but a wraparound service for patients with life-limiting conditions." The Wrexham hospice delivers specialist palliative care and a range of services including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, complementary therapies, and bereavement support for all ages. It also operates a hydrotherapy pool, an outpatient clinic and ambulance service. Following her visit, Ms Griffiths wrote to Jeremy Miles, Welsh Government cabinet secretary for health and social care, to invite him to see the hospice first-hand. READ MORE: Wrexham girl, 9, who beat leukaemia opens her own art exhibition in city centre She said: "Special praise must go to the dedicated staff who deliver outstanding care and support and I also want to pay tribute to the 450 active volunteers who make such an invaluable contribution. "It was good to catch up with Lauren and Chris. "Nightingale House remains a pillar of our community and I will continue to do all I can to support the hospice." The hospice recently completed a £5 million refurbishment, including a new 12-bed in-patient ward, in May 2024.