Cancer referrals missing targets
Concern over urgent cases
A Labour MSP this week raised concerns over cancer waiting times in Ayrshire and Arran.
Colin Smyth hit out after a report released by the Scottish Government’s Information Services Division ( ISD) Scotland shows that only 88.6 per cent of urgent referrals between April and June this year started treatment within the 62- day target.
The Scottish Government’s Local Delivery Plan ( LDP) standard is that 95 per cent of patients urgently referred with a suspicion of cancer should begin to receive treatment within 62 days.
Mr Smyth, South of Scotland- list MSP, said: “When a patient is urgently referred with a suspicion of cancer it is a harrowing time for both the patient and their family.
“We must ensure that the appropriate treatment is provided as soon as possible to give patients the best chance for a full recovery.
“NHS Ayrshire and Arran face an extremely difficult financial situation which is why it is imperative that the SNP Government ensure that in the balancing of the health board’s finances patient care is not affected, especially in areas such as cancer treatment where urgent referrals must start to receive treatment as soon as possible.”
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said NHS investment and staffing are at historically high levels.
She added: “We recently allocated an additional £ 6million to reduce waiting times for endoscopies.”
A NHS Ayrshire & Arran spokesman said: “NHS Ayrshire & Arran is committed to providing the best access to services for all patients who are referred with a suspicion of cancer.
“We accept that our performance against the 62- day referral to treatment falls below the standard of 95 per cent. While this is not linked to a single specific issue, every patient’s journey is tracked through the cancer pathway. We recognise that a suspicion of cancer can be a worrying time and our teams are committed to delivering care as quickly as possible.
“Should a patient receive a cancer diagnosis, we ensure that they receive their treatment as quickly as possible, and consistently achieve above the Scottish standard of 95 per cent for decision to treatment within 31- days.”