THE percentage of cancer patients in Gwent whose treatment began within the target 62 days during April-June this year, was the lowest for 12 months - and the rate worsened during the following two months.

The 62-day target applies to patients who have been referred through Wales' urgent suspected cancer pathway, and is one of two cancer waiting times targets.

The other - of 31 days - applies to whose cancer, when diagnosed, has not been previously suspected, for instance it has been found during tests or treatment for another problem.

A minimum 95 per cent of patients who fall under the 62-day target should begin their treatment within that timescale, but this is proving increasingly difficult across Wales.

During April-June this year, 86.2 per cent of patients in Gwent began their treatment within the 62-day period. This meant that 47 out of the 341 patients involved that quarter, waited longer.

That was however, above the all-Wales average of 85.1 per cent, and Aneurin Bevan University Health Board's was the second best performance out of the seven health boards in Wales.

During July and August, performance against the target deteriorated in Gwent, with respectively 84 per cent and 83.6 per cent of patients beginning their treatments within 62 days. Each was below the corresponding all-Wales average.

By contrast, performance against the 31-day target has been much better in Gwent and across Wales, while not always hitting the target - that a minimum 98 per cent of patients begin their treatment inside that timescale.

During April-June, 98.5 per cent of patients in Gwent began their treatment within 31 days, the highest rate in Wales - and the target has been hit in four of the eight three-month periods in the past two years.

Again, performance against the target has dipped during July and August (6.2 per cent and 96.8 per cent), though the latter was above the all-Wales average.

Capacity problems in diagnostics continue to be an issue, despite an attempt to prioritise suspected cancer referrals, and the health board has reported that in recent months there has been an increase in the number of referrals for cancer.

In 2017 the average number of referrals each month was 1,700, but this is running at almost 2,000 a month this year. However, conversion rates - the amount of patients diagnosed with cancer - have not risen, with the number of patients needing treatment remaining at 2017 levels.