Our manifesto at a glance

1. A long-term cancer strategy for Wales overseen by leadership with blood cancer expertise

• Wales is now the only UK nation without a long-term cancer strategy.
• Too often national cancer initiatives are made with only solid tumours in mind.

2. An end to the current and worsening blood cancer workforce crisis

• Wales has a retirement rate of 60% for consultant haematologists and 38.5% for haematology Clinical Nurse Specialists.
• The situation is worse in rural and more isolated areas, where in some places no new consultant haematologists have been appointed for some time.

3. An urgent review into blood cancer data

• The ways blood cancer data is captured, categorised and analysed in Wales are disjointed.
• Ethnicity data in Wales is only available for 42% of non-Hodgkin lymphoma records in Wales, compared to 87% in England. Gaps in demographic data make it hard to identify health inequalities.

4. Action to rectify gaps in blood cancer diagnosis data

• If people diagnosed with blood cancer in Wales aren't being counted properly, then it's inevitable that patient care is being compromised.

5. Earlier diagnosis of blood cancer including a new measure for non-stageable cancers

• 29% of people with blood cancer in Wales saw their GP three or more times before being referred to a specialist.
• Government cancer diagnosis targets are based on stages. These exclude non-stageable cancers, like most blood cancers, which are at risk of being overlooked in early diagnosis ambitions.

6. Partnership between Health Boards and charities to better provide support to people after a blood cancer diagnosis

• 58% of people with blood cancer were not aware of the emotional and practical support available to them after diagnosis.
• Blood Cancer UK is ready to support people after diagnosis with its Referral Service, but we need NHS backing.

7. An approach to research in Wales where academic and commercial research can flourish, with improved access to blood cancer treatments

• In Wales, 59% of people affected by blood cancer believe increasing research into innovative treatments should be a priority for future cancer policy.
• Just 26% of people with blood cancer in Wales discussed research opportunities after their diagnosis.
• The location of treatment centres in Wales requires many to travel for blood cancer treatment, but not everyone can afford this.