Health Secretary Neil Gray has come under attack for failing to get to grips with Scotland’s cancer crisis.
Gray was told to “wake up” as new figures showed more than 1,100 patients had waited longer than they should for treatment. Public Health Scotland figures published today showed just 73.2% of patients began treatment within the 62 day standard waiting time for urgent referrals for those with a suspicion of having cancer.
The figure is an improvement of 2.7 percentage points from the last quarter but still far below the 95% target and 10.5 percentage points lower than before the Covid outbreak. None of the area health boards managed to achieve this target. On a positive note, the 31 day target for treatment to begin once the diagnosis was made was achieved.
Cancer Research UK’s Public Affairs Manager in Scotland, Dr Sorcha Hume, said the long waiting times were “a symptom of the huge pressures facing the NHS”.
She added: “Staff are working incredibly hard but years of chronic workforce shortages and a lack of specialist equipment means the system can’t cope. It’s an unacceptable situation for patients left worrying that they have a disease that could progress if left untreated.
“It’s crucial the Scottish Government takes urgent action with the implementation of its cancer strategy. Steps must be taken to ensure services are fit for now and the future.”
Scottish Labour has warned the long waits are putting lives at risk and said it was a “national scandal” that the 62 day target has not been met in more than a decade.
Health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie said: “Cancer remains Scotland’s biggest killer, but key targets are still being missed. Early diagnosis and treatment is crucial so it is nothing short of a national scandal that the SNP has not met its 62-day cancer treatment standard in over a decade. Fantastic NHS staff are working tirelessly to deliver the standard of treatment patients deserve, but long waits are putting lives on the line.
“The SNP must wake up to the crisis it has presided over and take urgent action to ensure cancer patients get the swift treatment they need.”
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP commented: “The Health Secretary needs to wake up to the crisis in our NHS. He may be content to bury his head in the sand but that is not good enough for the thousands of patients being failed by this government’s mismanagement of our health service. There can be few more challenging and frightening moments than being told you have been diagnosed with cancer.
“Everyone diagnosed with cancer should be able to access treatment quickly and effectively but right now far too many are being forced to wait day after day for the help they need. Early intervention in cancer cases is crucial to chances of survival so the stakes here simply could not be higher – it’s a matter of life and death. Under my leadership, I am determined that Scottish Liberal Democrats will be the champions for swift, local healthcare wherever in Scotland you live.”
Tory Health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane pointed out one in 20 patients were now waiting more than 130 days before beginning treatment – more than double the standard time.
He said: “Everyone knows how crucial it is that cancer treatment is started as quickly as possible to increase survival chances. Successive SNP health secretaries have failed to prioritise cancer care and now far too many Scots are not being seen in time.
“It should be a source of shame for SNP ministers that over 1,100 patients had to wait more than the 62 days before starting treatment, especially as Scotland lags behind comparable countries for cancer survival rates, and that this target hasn’t been met in over a decade. Cutting cancer waiting times should be Neil Gray’s top priority.”
Gray said it was “positive” that the 31-day standard had been met but recognised “more needs to be done to improve performance against the 62-day standard”, particularly in urology and colorectal cancers.
He stated: “We are tackling these challenges head-on by investing in our cancer services and working with NHS boards to drive improvements. To help reduce cancer waits, the Scottish Government has made £11.3 million of Cancer Waiting Times funding available for 2024-25, with a particular focus on improving performance in urology, colorectal, and breast cancer services.
“Additionally, £30 million has been allocated to reduce national backlogs and waiting lists with over £1.2 million directed towards diagnostics and treatment for patients referred with an urgent suspicion of cancer. We’re treating more patients with cancer on time within both standards compared to 10 years ago. Despite this, there will always be instances where some patients wait longer depending on their health, complexity of disease and agreed treatment plan.”
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