BETSI Cadwaladr University Health Board is one of Wales’ best performers for cancer care.Over the last year, patients referr­ed to hospitals in north Wales with suspected cancer have had some of the shortest wait times in the country and cancer survival rates for Betsi Cadwaladr have been continuously increasing and are better than the Welsh average.

The Welsh national target is that 95 per cent of patients should get their diagnosis confirmed and start their treatment within 62 days of being referred by their GP.

Although Betsi Cadwaladr does not yet reach this standard, it has regularly been one of the best performing health boards in Wales.

Since March, nearly 90 per cent of patients have begun their treatment inside this period.

The health board performs even better on how quickly it starts treatment for patients who are referr­ed to hospital because they are thought to have some other illness, but who are subsequently found to have cancer.

A Betsi Cadwaladr spokersperson said: ”We will not be satisfied until we are achieving the national standards on a regular basis, and we continue to work on targeted improvements.

“Our latest 100-day improvement plan included a review of our outpatient clinics to make sure we have enough appointment slots available, making it easier for patients to get the diagnostic tests that they need and increasing our treatment capacity.

“One area we are working on is making sure that when they are first seen in hospital, patients get the diagnostic tests that are most relevant to their symptoms first.

“This should mean that some patients get an initial diagnosis and can start treatment more quickly.”