Campaigner Tassia Haines has been praised by the Health Minister,
Eluned Morgan, for her efforts to improve services for metastatic
breast cancer in Wales.
Tassia, who has incurable breast cancer, had her petition for
more metastatic breast cancer nurses heard in the Senedd last
year. The petition also called for better awareness of symptoms
and better data on the care of people with metastatic breast
cancer.
The Health Minister met with Tassia last week to listen to hear
experiences and ideas on how services for metastatic breast
cancer in Wales can be improved.
Tassia said: "It’s been one year since our petition went through
the Senedd petitions committee, and although we have worked so
hard to push progress and real change, I was hugely grateful to
be able to meet with the Health Minister directly and discuss
recurring key information gaps and the need for better clinical
provision for MBC patients throughout Wales. I was really
heartened by the Ministers support, and to have the opportunity
to speak with her candidly.
We’ve come this far by all working collaboratively, and I’m
confident we are going to continue in that vein and commit to end
the needless suffering for metastatic breast cancer patients,
which remains one of the leading causes of death in women under
64 in the UK."
The Health Minister said: “It was inspiring to meet Tassia and
hear her story and experiences. It is a testament to her bravery
that she has been able to use her own extremely difficult
circumstances to improve services for other people.
It is important we continue to raise awareness of the symptoms of
breast cancer. Tassia is also right to call for better data to be
captured on metastatic breast cancer care. Our investment in a
new NHS cancer information system means we will be able to
capture this data in the future and together with the new
national clinical audit for metastatic breast cancer this will
support improvements in the quality of care.”
Notes to editors
Tassia Haines and her husband Nick pictured with the Health
Minister Eluned Morgan
