English: I'd like to thank Mabon ap Gwynfor for bringing this debate forward today. I think it's an extremely important issue that I believe all parties care about in this Chamber, and I'm sorry I wasn't quick enough, actually, to put my name in support of the debate before it was tabled. But I'd like to put it on record that I will be supporting the motion today, and I agree with the points in the motion that Mabon has tabled. Cancer patients have been, I think, left behind in Wales, sadly. I think for too long we have delayed screening, delayed treatment, and the pandemic has placed significant strain on an already overburdened workforce, and a significant number of healthcare professionals are now suffering stress and burnout. If Wales wants to meet the growing demand and achieve world-leading outcomes for cancer patients, then it must invest in the NHS workforce as a matter of urgency. So, I strongly support the call on the Welsh Government to address shortages in the cancer workforce. And I note that Wales is soon to be the only UK nation without a cancer strategy. And, as I think two Members have already pointed out, the World Health Organization recommends all countries should have a strategy. So, I hope the Minister, given that three Members have now mentioned that in this debate today, can address that point specifically. But I think the Welsh Government needs to act with some urgency in that regard, and Wales needs a vision that sets out how the Welsh Government is going to be working with the Welsh NHS and how it will support services to recover from the impact of the pandemic and improve cancer survival through innovation and transformation in the long term. Mabon pointed out at the beginning of this debate his own experience in terms of his own family situation, and it made me think that I suspect every Member of this Chamber has been affected by cancer in some way, and that will be the same for people across Wales. So, I think it's of great concern to us all, isn't it, when we have longer waiting lists, and I think that will impact on every person across Wales in terms of being concerned about longer waiting lists in terms of cancer. I know that colleagues will no doubt agree with that. But, through the pandemic, we have seen, of course, record waiting times. NHS cancer waiting times for September showed 59 per cent of patients received their first treatment within 62 days of being suspected of having cancer, and this is well below the cancer pathway of 75 per cent. So, we won't improve cancer outcomes unless we reduce waiting times in Wales. And the Welsh Government, I think, has got to act urgently in investment in the staff and infrastructure needed to help more people get a timely diagnosis and treatment, as Mabon pointed out in his opening comments. So, I'll certainly be supporting the motion today, as tabled, and I hope that the Government will respond accordingly to this debate this afternoon.
Welsh: Hoffwn ddiolch i Mabon ap Gwynfor am gyflwyno'r ddadl hon heddiw. Rwy'n credu ei fod yn fater eithriadol o bwysig y credaf fod pob plaid yn poeni yn ei gylch yn y Siambr hon, ac mae'n ddrwg gennyf nad oeddwn yn ddigon cyflym, mewn gwirionedd, i roi fy enw i gefnogi'r ddadl cyn ei chyflwyno. Ond hoffwn nodi y byddaf yn cefnogi'r cynnig heddiw, ac rwy'n cytuno â'r pwyntiau yn y cynnig y mae Mabon wedi'i gyflwyno. Yn anffodus, credaf fod cleifion canser wedi cael eu gadael ar ôl yng Nghymru. Ers gormod o amser rydym wedi gohirio sgrinio, wedi oedi cyn rhoi triniaeth, ac mae'r pandemig wedi rhoi straen sylweddol ar weithlu sydd eisoes wedi'i orlwytho, ac mae nifer sylweddol o weithwyr gofal iechyd proffesiynol bellach yn dioddef straen a gorflinder. Os yw Cymru am ateb y galw cynyddol a sicrhau canlyniadau rhagorol i gleifion canser, rhaid iddi fuddsoddi yng ngweithlu'r GIG fel mater o frys. Felly, rwy'n cefnogi'n gryf yr alwad ar Lywodraeth Cymru i fynd i'r afael â phrinder staff yn y gweithlu canser. A nodaf mai Cymru fydd yr unig wlad yn y DU cyn bo hir heb strategaeth canser. Ac fel y mae dau Aelod eisoes wedi nodi, mae Sefydliad Iechyd y Byd yn argymell y dylai pob gwlad gael strategaeth. Felly, o gofio bod tri Aelod bellach wedi sôn am hynny yn y ddadl heddiw, gobeithio y gall y Gweinidog fynd i'r afael â'r pwynt hwnnw'n benodol. Ond rwy'n credu bod angen i Lywodraeth Cymru weithredu ar frys yn hynny o beth, ac mae angen gweledigaeth ar Gymru i nodi sut y bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn gweithio gyda GIG Cymru a sut y bydd yn cefnogi gwasanaethau i adfer yn sgil effaith y pandemig a gwella cyfraddau goroesi canser drwy arloesi a thrawsnewid yn y tymor hir. Ar ddechrau'r ddadl, nododd Mabon ei brofiad a'i sefyllfa deuluol ei hun, ac rwy'n tybio bod canser wedi effeithio ar bob Aelod o'r Siambr hon mewn rhyw ffordd, a bydd hynny yr un fath i bobl ledled Cymru. Felly, rwy'n credu ei fod yn destun pryder mawr i bob un ohonom, onid yw, pan fydd gennym restrau aros hirach, a chredaf y bydd hynny'n effeithio ar bob person ledled Cymru yn yr ystyr y byddant yn bryderus ynghylch rhestrau aros hirach ar gyfer canser. Gwn y bydd cyd-Aelodau'n sicr yn cytuno â hynny. Ond drwy'r pandemig, gwelsom amseroedd aros hirach nag erioed. Dangosodd amseroedd aros canser y GIG ar gyfer mis Medi fod 59 y cant o gleifion wedi cael eu triniaeth gyntaf o fewn 62 diwrnod i'r dyddiad yr amheuid bod ganddynt ganser, ac mae hyn yn llawer is na'r llwybr canser o 75 y cant. Felly, ni fyddwn yn gwella canlyniadau canser oni bai ein bod yn lleihau amseroedd aros yng Nghymru. A chredaf fod rhaid i Lywodraeth Cymru weithredu ar frys i fuddsoddi yn y staff a'r seilwaith sydd eu hangen i helpu mwy o bobl i gael diagnosis a thriniaeth amserol, fel y nododd Mabon yn ei sylwadau agoriadol. Felly, byddaf yn sicr yn cefnogi'r cynnig heddiw fel y'i cyflwynwyd, a gobeithio y bydd y Llywodraeth yn ymateb yn unol â hynny i'r ddadl hon y prynhawn yma.