Nid yw’r dudalen ar gael yn y Gymraeg
National Assembly for Wales
Health and social Services Committee
Review of Cancer Services for the People of Wales
| Name of respondent: Heidi Traunecker |
| Are you responding on behalf of an organisation?Clinician, paediatric oncologist |
| If so please give the name Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust |
| Address:Children’s Hospital for Wales Cardiff CF14 4XW |
| Telephone number:029 2074 2285 |
| Would you be willing to give oral evidence to the Committee?No |
| If the evidence you give below is your personal view, rather then that of an organisation, please state whether or not you are willing for your evidence to be published by putting a X in the appropriate box below: |
| I am content for my evidence to be publishedX yes |
| I am not content for my evidence to be published |
| 1 | How can information technology be used more effectively to track and facilitate the patient’s journey? |
| Response | Linking electronically different hospitals / labs etc by making systems compatible |
| 2 | How effectively is research and good practice being integrated with service delivery? What can be done and by whom to improve this? |
| Response | Poor cross linking between adult and paediatric services from diagnosis; raising awareness to discuss children and young adult cancer sufferers prior to commencing therapy or investigations |
| 3 | What are your views on the complexity of commissioning services? Is the process hampered by the involvement of the local health boards, cancer networks and Health Commission Wales? How could it simplified? |
| Response | So far little has been achieved on practical level; interface between funding for tertiary and secondary cancer can in paediatrics be blurred and causes difficulties trying to set up shared care services locally. Networks have little power and money but the knowledge. |
| 4 | What evidence is there of the value of screening and immunisation? |
| Response | Post chemotherapy immunisation is following RCPCH guidelines. Cancer screening rarely needed in paediatric oncology. |
| 5 | What are the barriers to the NHS in Wales keeping abreast of, and responding to, developing technologies and therapies? How might these barriers be overcome? |
| Response | Small number of health professionals; little understanding of the newly formed agencies in Wales; build up of old allegiances is difficult to overcome. |
| 6 | How can the NHS and the voluntary sector work together more effectively to deliver services? |
| Response | |
| 7 | How can the collection and use of data on where the terminally ill spend their last weeks or months be improved better to inform service provision for those people? |
| Response | Paediatric Services are not available to deliver 24 hour, 7 day care in paediatric hospices. Paediatric oncology patients have no choice but to die at home with expert nurse support if a hospital death is not wanted. Data available through service delivery. |
| 8 | There are a number of issues around prescribing and the cost of drugs: |
| 8(i) | What should be done and by whom to reduce continued prescribing of inappropriate drugs? |
| Response | Paediatric oncology has a problem with GPs refusing to prescribe drugs rather than prescribing inappropriately. |
| 8(ii) | Should people who are prepared to pay privately for drugs not available to them on the NHS, be able to do so without having to become private patients and having to pay for all their treatment? |
| Response | Yes, continuity of care through same service providers is important assuming health professionals happy to supervise therapy. |
| 8(iii) | Do doctors, pharmacists and other health professionals have adequate access to independent advice and guidance on the prescribing of drugs? |
| Response | Yes |
| 9 | Are services centred on the patient, with service users consulted? If not what are the reasons for this and how can patient involvement be improved? |
| Response | Paediatric services is centred on service users but doesn’t consult them often. |
