When an organisation continues to routinely miss set targets, then the level at which the targets have been set and the ability to meet those target in the future must be questioned. A recent report on NHS targets in Health Insurance & Protection Daily highlights that many NHS targets are continually missed without any plan or expectation of achieving them in the future.

It is recognised that starting treatment as soon as possible after diagnosis increases the chance of recovery for many cancer patients. However, in England in November 2015, only 83.5% of cancer patients started treatment within 62 days. This is 1.5% below the target of 85%.

The NHS continues to operate under extreme pressure with budget restrictions and difficulties in recruiting necessary staff. Such challenges make achieving the target of treating 85% of cancer patients within 62 days appear increasingly difficult.

An increasing number of people are turning to private medical care providers to guarantee prompt care should it be needed. Many companies are now offering private medical care as part of the employment remuneration package, a trend that continues to rise. Individuals taking responsibility to protect themselves with private medical cover may alleviate some of the pressure on NHS Wales, although whether it will actually result in a reduced NHS waiting list is debateable.

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