Cancer Care

I am grateful to those members who drew my attention to the decision by the charity Cancer Care Services to withdraw its services from Wales. These services are based in Merthyr Tydfil and Mountain Ash and comprise hospital transport and drop in centres for cancer patients. Discussions with the organisation suggest that financial difficulties are threatening all its activities in both Wales and England, and in that respect we are not facing a repeat of the Children’s Society affair.

The Chief Executive of Cancer Care has promised that Cancer Care will co-operate to the full with any locally based solutions which might be devised to keep services operational in Wales.  I intend to make an oral statement about this in plenary on 29 January. In the meantime, Members may wish to know that I have asked the Wales Council for Voluntary Action to co-ordinate the attempts to find local solutions. An initial meeting of representatives of the NHS , local government and the voluntary sector was very productive and I am hopeful that at least some of the services may be saved though there can be no guarantees at this stage.