Recently, I had the opportunity to speak in the incredibly important debate in the Senedd on the issue of ovarian cancer.

 This is an incredibly important issue, and it was touching to hear the stories of so many people affected by this dreadful disease.

 It was genuinely heartbreaking to learn that so many women simply do not feel listened to when it comes to matters of their health, a fact that can have devastating consequences.

 As with all cancers, the key is to catch it at an early stage. However, because many women do not feel listened to, diagnosis can occur far too late.

The Welsh Government’s report found that, too often, women’s concerns are dismissed as a result of preconceptions about their emotional or pain tolerance.

This, combined with the fact that there has been a gross lack of medical research on female health, can lead to a misdiagnosis or inadequate care being provided.

There will always be a certain number of cancer cases that are diagnosed through emergency admissions; however, this figure is unacceptably high in Wales and fact that so many women are diagnosed through A&E shows there is something going fundamentally wrong with primary care.

Every year, 300 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year here in Wales, and tragically, up to 150 of them lose their lives.

I want to applaud charities such as Ovarian Cancer Action who are working towards early diagnosis. I also want to highlight the important work that one constituent is doing with Cardiff University, developing methods by which to catch this disease early.

Innovations such as these can be revolutionary in tackling ovarian cancer, and I hope the Welsh Government will look to work with our world class universities in order to improve early diagnosis.

The Welsh Government must also prioritise gynaecological cancer diagnosis pathways, so more people are able to start treatment as soon as possible.

With only 34 per cent of women getting cancer treatment within the 62-day target, there is so much more work that needs to be done.

Sadly, the Welsh Government is in denial about the scale of the problem here in Wales, and it is only through meaningful research and change that we can be a nation where women can feel safe knowing their concerns are being taken seriously.