Funding earmarked for Wrexham metastatic cancer nurse, MS told

A Member of the Senedd has repeated his calls for a ‘crucial’ cancer nurse to remain at Wrexham Maelor Hospital on a permanent basis. 

Clwyd South MS Ken Skates raised the issue with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) earlier this year and was told the Welsh Government had provided funding to ensure the Metastatic Cancer Nurse Specialist role was preserved for the current financial year. 

The Maelor is the only North Wales hospital where the position is temporary, and concerns have once again been raised about its future. 

But Mr Skates has been told the Welsh Government has earmarked further funding. 

He said: “This is a crucial role with a caseload – as I understand it – of around 200 patients, all of whom value it extremely highly. Clearly, the continuing uncertainty about the future of the role is detrimental to all concerned, and my constituents who are regular visitors to the oncology department are asking why it’s only Wrexham where the position isn’t permanent. 

“The Welsh Government has indicated that there is funding in place for this essential role, so I hope the health board is able to take it up.” 

Mr Skates wrote to the health board’s senior management with his concerns earlier this month. 

In his response, BCUHB chair Dyfed Edwards said: “The Metastatic Cancer Nurse Specialist is one of a number of roles and schemes that are being funded on a non-recurrent basis, using temporary funding provided by Welsh Government to support enhanced performance and transformation. 

“Since you last wrote to us, we have provided the necessary assurance to Welsh Government about the impact of this temporary funding. Securing this funding from Welsh Government on a recurrent basis is now contingent on the Health Board meeting its financial targets for the current year. 

“A significant amount of hard work is taking place across the Health Board to achieve this, in order to ensure that this valuable additional resource remains within the health service in North Wales.However, we do not expect to be in a position to agree recurrent funding for any of these schemes until the 2024/25 financial allocation is made available to the Health Board in early 2025.” 

He added: “It is very clear from the representations made by individual patients, patient representative groups and colleagues working within our cancer services that the care and support provided by the current postholder is highly valued. As such, I am very sorry for any anxiety caused by our inability to confirm permanent funding for this post at this stage, although I hope that this response helps to clarify the Health Board’s current position and next steps.”