THREE diagnosis clinics for cancer patients are set to be opened in North Wales in a boost for plans to tackle a backlog of cases missed during the pandemic.

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) said the GP referral clinics will open at three acute hospital sites - Glan Clwyd Hospital, Gwynedd Hospital and Wrexham Maelor Hospital - as soon as early 2022.

It follows a successful pilot scheme at Neath Port Talbot Hospital in Swansea Bay University Health Board since 2017, which found waiting times were cut by 90 per cent – to less than six days.

The clinics diagnose the cause of symptoms quickly by performing a number of tests in a short timeframe, which can increase the likelihood of successful treatment.

Adrian Thomas, executive director of therapies and health sciences for BCUHB, said: "We are developing plans to launch three Rapid Diagnosis Clinics, one at each acute hospital site in North Wales, in early 2022.

“The clinics will be for GPs to refer patients to, if they have vague and concerning symptoms that may be due to cancer, but don’t fit the classic urgent suspected cancer referral symptoms.

"Rapid Diagnostic Clinics were piloted in South Wales with excellent results in terms of reducing the time for the diagnosis of cancer or other conditions.

“We are looking forward to opening the clinics in North Wales to help diagnose patients with vague symptoms and start a treatment plan as quickly as possible, or give patients some peace of mind and the reassurance that their symptoms are not due to cancer."

It comes as waiting times for diagnosis surged during lockdown as hospitals were overwhelmed with patients suffering with severe symptoms of Covid-19, while patients were less likely to come forward to receive a diagnosis.

In Wales, NHS diagnostic and therapy service waiting times for July 2021 show an 11-fold increase in the number of people waiting over eight weeks for one of seven key tests used to diagnose cancer. 

Each year in Wales around 19,300 people are diagnosed with cancer and around 9,000 die from the condition.

Tests are the clinics include a range of blood tests, immunochemical test, physical examination and a CT scan.

About 10 per cent of patients who are seen in the cancer clinics are diagnosed with cancer.

The clinics in North Wales come after the Welsh Government provided £20million funding for BCUHB in May to increase the capacity of its cancer, planned, diagnostics and endoscopy care.

In June, the government confirmed an additional £2.1 million for a CT simulator replacement at Glan Clwyd Hospital and £3.3 million for a gamma camera and interventional radiology suite at Wrexham Maelor Hospital.