Cancer teams from Swansea Bay have taken a double win at the awards celebrating the people transforming cancer care in Wales.
Swansea Bay University Health Board won two accolades at the third Moondance Cancer Awards — the only awards dedicated solely to cancer services in Wales, organised independently by the Moondance Cancer Initiative to spotlight the individuals, teams and collaborations leading the way across NHS Wales.
The health board took the Better Patient Experience award for its Radiographer-Led Late Radiotherapy Effects Service — which provides tailored support and timely specialist referrals for patients experiencing long-term complications after treatment, creating a more responsive model for cancer survivorship in Wales.
“It feels overwhelming to win, but it’s a great achievement for a brand-new service across Wales,” said Rebecca Lloyd, commenting on the award.
The board also shared the Working Together award — alongside Velindre University NHS Trust, Health Education and Improvement Wales and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board — for the Building a Multi-Professional Radiotherapy Workforce initiative.
The collaboration has strengthened radiotherapy workforce capability across Wales, developing a safe, standardised, multi-professional approach to radiotherapy target delineation — with a national training framework, shared learning resources and consistent assessment designed to reduce variation and support faster progression from diagnosis to treatment planning.
“It feels wonderful to have won this award tonight,” said Lucy Wills, chair of the Multi-Professional Radiotherapy Target Definition Group. “It’s really motivating to be recognised and appreciated for our work; this win will help us move forward with our objectives in the future.”
There was a third win for the region too — with Hywel Dda University Health Board taking the Detection and Diagnosis award for its One-Stop Clinic for Post-Menopausal Bleeding, speeding the route to diagnosis for women across the health board area.
The winners were judged by a panel including Prof Isabel Oliver, Chief Medical Officer for Wales, alongside senior figures from across health, life sciences and innovation.
Wendy Evans, managing director at Moondance Cancer Initiative, said: “The Moondance Cancer Awards celebrate the individuals, teams and collaborations driving change across cancer services in Wales. This year’s winners demonstrate the impact of focus, creativity, joint working and shared ambition in improving outcomes and experiences for patients.
“Moondance Cancer Initiative is privileged to work alongside NHS colleagues and partners to support progress for patients. We look forward to continuing that work, building on the ideas, relationships and momentum reflected in this year’s awards.”
Moondance Cancer Initiative is a philanthropically funded not-for-profit which finds, funds and fuels ideas to improve cancer outcomes in Wales — with an emphasis on earlier diagnosis, reducing variation and equitable access to care.
The full list of winners is at moondance-cancer.wales.
