Health
Charity-funded cancer psychological support service praised by patients and carers
CANCER counselling has helped transform the lives of patients across west Wales – giving many the tools to cope with their diagnosis and look to the future with hope.
One of those patients is Sharon, who says the Cancer Psychological Support (CaPS) Service run by Hywel Dda University Health Board has changed the way she thinks, helping her focus on the positives rather than the negatives.
The CaPS service supports cancer patients in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire. It was created thanks to generous donations to Hywel Dda Health Charities, the official charity of the health board. A two-year pilot ran between 2019 and 2021, followed by a second phase from 2022 to 2025. Since April this year, the service has been fully embedded into the health board’s core cancer services.
Sharon says counselling allowed her to explore her feelings, make key decisions, and talk openly to a professional without fear of judgement.
“I was able to explore all sorts of things with Helen, my therapist,” Sharon explained. “I hope I don’t have to see her again, but it’s reassuring to know the support is there if I need it. The counselling helped me make decisions and gave me someone to talk to without judgement.”
Carer Maureen who has benefitted from the CaPS service
Maureen, a carer for a cancer patient, added: “I can’t even tell you what part of it helped. I just know when I left, I felt a bit of a lift. For that hour it was just us two talking.
“In a way I looked forward to the sessions because I knew I was going to get things off my chest as well. When things got more difficult for me, I talked to Ann (the therapist) about it, and I felt safe telling her. She just listened.”
Above: Gina Beard, Lead Cancer Nurse at Hywel Dda University Health Board
The CaPS project delivers psychological support to people affected by cancer aged 16+ within the health board population. Specialist Cancer Counsellors are employed across the three counties of Hywel Dda, and they receive a current average of 23 referrals per month.
“There are no waiting lists at all,” explained Gina Beard, Lead Cancer Nurse at the health board. “Referrals are received, assessed and contacted within two weeks, which means that cancer patients in the area get the psychological support they need very quickly.
“The service offers a range of virtual or face-to-face options, so it can adapt to patients’ communication needs. And the service also extends to cancer patients’ carers and the parents of children with cancer.”
Each patient or carer is allocated a counsellor who will deliver up to 12 counselling sessions, depending on need. This results in over 3,000 counselling sessions being delivered every year.
The CaPS team also provides education and training programmes for the cancer workforce to equip them with skills in psychological support in their daily interventions with patients – for example, when breaking bad news and managing difficult conversations.
In addition, the team also provides invaluable psychological support to staff.
Pandora, an Upper Gastrointestinal Clinical Nurse Specialist, said: “It has provided a safe, supportive space to reflect on my practice, explore challenges, and gain valuable insight.
“The process has enhanced my confidence, improved my clinical reasoning, and helped me maintain emotional resilience in a demanding role. I’ve found it to be an essential part of my professional development and overall well-being as a practitioner.”
Through the CaPS Service, Hywel Dda University Health Board has led the way in Wales in providing psychological support for cancer patients, and it is the first health board in Wales to provide Level 3 psychological support for people affected by cancer as part of core services with mainstream NHS funding from April 2025.
“This would not have happened if the project had not received charitable funds which enabled cancer services to identify the needs of patients and the impact of providing a service that met those needs,” said Nicola Llewelyn, Head of Hywel Dda Health Charities.
“Thanks to the generosity of local communities, we are able to fund projects like this which are above and beyond core NHS expenditure, and which make such a big difference to the experiences of patients, carers and staff.
“Never has the charity been more important in helping deliver the very best care and experiences for patients and staff. We are so grateful for every donation we receive.”
For more details about the charity and how you can help support local NHS patients and staff, go to hywelddahealthcharities.org.uk
Health
NHS Wales under renewed pressure as waiting lists and A&E delays grow
Cancer treatment targets missed again as opposition says Plaid must share responsibility for health service performance
NHS WALES is facing renewed pressure after the latest performance figures showed waiting lists rising, cancer treatment targets being missed again and more patients waiting over 12 hours in emergency departments.
The figures come as the Welsh Government announced an additional £145m for NHS Wales, including £100m to reduce waiting times and £25m for new surgical hubs.
In April, performance against the 62-day target for patients starting cancer treatment fell to 56.7%, well below the 75% target.
In Swansea Bay, just 48.4% of cancer patients began treatment within the target time.
Treatment waiting lists also increased, with 680,003 patient pathways recorded in April. The estimated number of individual patients waiting for treatment stood at 536,500.
Two-year waits rose to 3,694. In England, the comparable figure was 191.
Emergency care also came under further strain in May. The proportion of patients spending less than four hours in Welsh emergency departments fell to 64.4%, against a target of 95%.
A total of 11,066 patients waited 12 hours or more before being admitted, transferred or discharged, up from 10,287 in April. The target is zero.
Ambulance performance remained under pressure. For red calls, the median response time improved to nine minutes and 12 seconds, but the 90th percentile increased to 22 minutes and 39 seconds, meaning response time targets were still not met.
Welsh Conservative criticism
The Welsh Conservatives said the figures showed a “worrying backslide” in NHS performance and accused Plaid Cymru of sharing responsibility for the state of the health service.
Natasha Asghar MS, Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, said: “These figures show a worrying backslide in NHS performance in Wales. Cancer treatment times have fallen, waiting lists have risen, two-year waits are up and more patients are being left waiting over 12 hours in emergency departments.
“Plaid Cymru cannot escape responsibility for this. They propped up the previous Welsh Labour Government by backing their budgets and are now in Government themselves. Patients across Wales need action, not more talk of improvement.
“Whilst any extra funding for the NHS is welcome, £145m will not be enough unless it is accompanied by urgent reform, a comprehensive workforce strategy and real delivery for patients.
“The Welsh Conservatives have been clear that the Welsh Government needs to declare a health emergency in our NHS. We need more beds in our hospitals, a robust NHS workforce and a serious plan to cut waiting lists and to support our emergency departments.”
Funding announced
The Welsh Government says the extra £145m will support work to reduce waiting times and improve access to treatment.
Of that, £100m has been allocated to reducing waiting lists, while £25m will be invested in new surgical hubs.
Health leaders have welcomed the additional funding, but warned that money alone will not solve the pressures facing hospitals, GP services, social care and emergency departments.
The latest figures are likely to increase pressure on ministers to show clear progress before the winter, when demand on the NHS is expected to rise further.
Welsh Government response
The Welsh Government said the figures related to April, before the new administration took office, and showed that both treatment waiting lists and the longest waits had increased.
Health and Care Minister Mabon ap Gwynfor said too many people were waiting too long for treatment, and said emergency care performance was not yet at the level patients and staff should expect.
He said: “Our focus is clear — cut waiting times, prioritise those who have been waiting the longest, improve access to services and build an NHS that can keep up with demand in the long term.
“To bring waiting times down and keep them down, we need to change the way the NHS works — making sure patients move through the system more smoothly, from their first referral all the way to treatment.
“We’ve got a plan to do this, working with the fantastic NHS staff right across Wales. The £145 million we’re announcing today will be important in tackling the waiting list and waiting times and helping people be seen quicker.”
The Welsh Government said £100m would be used to help reduce waiting lists and waiting times, £25m would be invested in new surgical and diagnostic hubs, and £20m would go towards essential maintenance across the NHS estate.
Health
Welsh Government announces £145m NHS funding boost
NEW funding of £145 million has been announced for NHS Wales as ministers seek to cut waiting times, improve hospital facilities and increase capacity across the health service.
The package, announced as part of the Welsh Government’s Supplementary Budget for 2026 to 2027, includes money to reduce waiting lists, develop surgical and diagnostic hubs, and carry out essential maintenance across the NHS estate.
Health leaders and nursing representatives have welcomed the investment, but warned that money for buildings, equipment and waiting list initiatives must be backed by a wider plan for staffing, primary care, community services and social care.
The Welsh NHS Confederation said the additional funding was welcome, but called for a “whole-system” approach to health and care.
Its director, Darren Hughes, said: “NHS leaders in Wales welcome this additional funding for the NHS to reduce waiting times and make essential maintenance across the NHS estate.
“We also welcome the Health and Care Minister’s focus on developing a long-term strategy to address waiting times. We agree that a long-term solution is required to build sustainable capacity and drive whole-system improvements.”
Mr Hughes said strengthening primary and community care would be essential, including programmes designed to move more services closer to people’s homes.
He added: “Alongside improvements in primary care, we must also prioritise the social care sector.
“We would also welcome a broader and more balanced approach to how NHS and social care performance is measured and published. Focusing solely on waiting times does not provide a complete picture, and there needs to be more comprehensive data published across the breadth of the NHS and social care services.”
The Royal College of Nursing Wales also welcomed the investment, but warned that new facilities alone would not reduce waiting lists unless there were enough appropriately trained staff to run them.
Nicola Williams, Executive Director of RCN Wales, said investment in surgical and diagnostic hubs and essential maintenance had the potential to reduce delays, improve patient experience and increase NHS capacity.
But she said: “Buildings and equipment alone will not reduce waiting lists.
“Delivering sustainable improvements depends on having the right, appropriately trained and skilled workforce in place, and nurses will play a pivotal role in the provision of safe, effective and efficient care.”
RCN Wales said nursing staff across Wales were reporting rising patient complexity and demand, missed breaks, and difficulty providing the level of care patients need.
The union also raised concerns that newly qualified nurses had faced uncertainty about securing permanent employment, despite continued pressure on services.
Ms Williams said Wales could not afford to lose the talent and commitment of a generation of nursing graduates.
She added that any move towards strengthening primary and community care must be matched by investment in the nursing workforce needed to deliver those services.
The announcement will now raise questions about how much of the funding will reach west Wales, and whether Hywel Dda University Health Board patients will directly benefit from any new surgical or diagnostic hub.
No specific locations for the proposed hubs have yet been confirmed.
Health
£145m NHS Wales boost welcomed — but nurses warn staffing is key
NEW NHS funding must be matched by proper workforce planning if it is to cut waiting lists and improve patient care, nursing leaders have warned.
The Royal College of Nursing Wales has responded to a Welsh Government announcement of an additional £145 million investment in NHS Wales.
The package includes £100 million in revenue funding to reduce waiting times, £25 million capital funding for new surgical and diagnostic hubs, and £20 million for essential maintenance across the NHS estate.
The Welsh Government says the investment is intended to increase capacity, speed up diagnosis and help more patients receive planned treatment more quickly.
Up to ten surgical and diagnostic hubs are expected to be developed across Wales over the next four years. These facilities are designed to carry out high-volume planned treatment and tests away from the day-to-day pressure of emergency hospital care.
But RCN Wales said the success of the plan would depend not only on buildings and equipment, but on having enough trained staff to run the services safely.
Nicola Williams, Executive Director of RCN Wales, said: “RCN Wales welcomes this additional investment in NHS Wales and the Welsh Government’s commitment to reducing waiting times and improving patient care and outcomes.
“Investment in surgical and diagnostic hubs, alongside funding for essential maintenance, has the potential to significantly improve our population’s health, reduce delays, improve experiences and increase NHS capacity.
“However, buildings and equipment alone will not reduce waiting lists. Delivering sustainable improvements depends on having the right, appropriately trained and skilled workforce in place, and nurses will play a pivotal role in the provision of safe, effective and efficient care.”
She said robust workforce modelling and planning would be “critically important” if the hubs were to achieve their ambitions.
The announcement comes as RCN Wales joins healthcare leaders, employers and government representatives at a Graduate Summit to discuss employment opportunities for this year’s nursing graduates.
RCN Wales said it welcomed the Welsh Government’s focus on the issue, but warned that newly qualified nurses had faced uncertainty about securing permanent employment despite continuing pressure across NHS services.
Ms Williams said: “Nursing staff are telling us consistently and across Wales that, despite there being no vacancies, there is insufficient staff to meet increasing patient complexity and demand.
“Nurses are going without breaks and feel most shifts that they are unable to give the care that patients need.
“It is therefore deeply concerning that newly qualified nurses have faced uncertainty about securing substantive employment.
“Wales cannot afford to lose the talent, skills and commitment of a generation of nursing graduates that our health and care services desperately need.”
RCN Wales said retaining newly qualified nurses was essential for the future sustainability of NHS and social care services.
The union also welcomed the Welsh Government’s commitment to strengthening primary and community care, but said any shift towards treating people closer to home must be matched by investment in the nursing workforce.
Ms Williams added: “Nurses are central to delivering care closer to home and helping people stay healthier for longer.
“Any shift in resources towards primary care must be matched by investment in the nursing workforce needed to deliver these ambitions.”
The key question for west Wales is whether any of the proposed surgical or diagnostic hubs will be located in the Hywel Dda area, and whether Pembrokeshire patients will see a direct benefit from the new funding.
No specific locations have yet been confirmed.
RCN Wales said it looked forward to working with the Welsh Government and health service partners to ensure the investment delivered lasting improvements for patients and supported the nursing workforce on which those improvements depend.
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