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Reg Williams (left) with Lord Elis-Thomas and campaigner Jayne Sullivan

Following the successful reinstatement of Brachytherapy treatment and the planned commissioning of Wales own centre at Velindre in Cardiff, members of the action group held a Cancer Screening Vigil.
Jayne Sullivan the Herseptin campaigner, Reg Williams from the Prostate Screening Trust, and hosted by William Graham AM held the event on the 3rd & 4th July in the main hall and committee room of the Senedd at the Welsh Assembly Cardiff Bay.

Throughout the two days a programme made up from over forty musical performances consisting of children's choirs, harpist, and solo singers, male and female choirs etc  perform classical / light music but appropriate for this important occasion. Those appearing include soloists Margaret Calbeck, Dawn Thomaszenski, Grace William the Dowlais, Morlais male voice and Hengoed ladies choirs.

The main objective was to promote and lobby Assembly Members support for screening all cancers within Wales and the reinstatement of the cancer screening committee.

Cancer Committee

The National Screening Committee (NSC)

Advises Ministers, the devolved national Assemblies and the Scottish Parliament on all aspects of screening policy. The NSC assesses proposed new screening programmes against a set of internationally recognised criteria covering the condition, the test, the treatment options and effectiveness and acceptability of the screening programme. The committee currently seventeen medical or clinical specialists preside over a national timeframe on a wide range of conditions currently 107 topics of which cancer represents thirteen.

We wish to highlight the following points

1.     Not enough patient representation is present at  this committee.

2.     As cancer is a life threatening disease not    sufficient consideration is given to this sector of screening and not keeping up with world wide developments and screening programs.

3.     The frequency of the meetings are inefficient, six monthly, for such an important issue in the early diagnosis and quality of life of patients.

Patients Champion

All medical decision making committees must have a sizeable representation from patients. This can take the form of organizations or recognized associations, voluntary sector carers and support groups. The Welsh Health Care Auditors report of the three cancer care networks criticized the lack of patient representation in this area. It must be recognized that patient's today are educated, well informed and in particular passionate and driven by a sense that time is running out for cancer suffers. We believe a patient champion must have more say in these policy and decision making organisations.