Linda Fabiani

The sun is shining and the town is looking grand – long may it continue.

Claremont Church’s fayre on Saturday was full of smiling faces, enjoying the open air and all of the activities that had been laid on.

One of my favourite charities, Mission Aviation Fellowship, was exhibiting and great fun was being had. MAF fly people and supplies in and out of the most inaccessible places in the world, ensuring medical care, equipment and medicines.

Also exhibiting at the fayre were EK Relay for Life which fundraises here in East Kilbride every year for Cancer Research.

Our town’s relay is the only one in the west of Scotland and this year marks the 21st year of the event.

The most moving part of the annual event is the Candle of Hope ceremony when candles, inside bags bearing loving messages, are lit and we can watch the beauty of the flames lighting the dark and quietly contemplate.

On Saturday I was struck by how many people, young and old, were stopping by the stall Making a difference to decorate a candle bag for next month’s event. Cancer is an illness which touches every family, every group of friends.

It’s so important that we have the facts about how cancer diagnosis and treatment proceeds in our National Health Service.

There was recently much misrepresentation of a report on cancer waiting times – irresponsible, misrepresentation. I want to set the record straight, as did the cabinet secretary for health in our Parliament last week.

The Scottish Government recently commissioned and published the clinical review of cancer waiting times standards in Scotland.

The review was produced by cancer clinicians and made certain recommendations about how we can improve cancer waiting times performance and the patient’s general experience.

The Scottish Government wants more to be done to improve cancer waiting times’ performance and the independent, clinically-led review is a welcome step to make the improvements needed. The Scottish Government is committed to making sure cancer patients do not wait longer than necessary for treatment.

And, let’s be clear, the current targets for cancer care are being retained, despite reports to the contrary.

In fact a number of cancer clinicians are very angry that the findings of the review were misrepresented.

Their remit is, as one leading cancer clinician said, “to retain the current standards”, the intention being “to improve them”. Surely, there should be honesty in the debates that we have about our health service; our patients and clinicians deserve nothing less.

There are aspects that need improved – of course there are. I have had a few concerns of late from constituents about waiting times and about the 12week treatment guarantee that was introduced by the Scottish Government in 2012 – the first time such a right has ever been given to patients.

Since the introduction of the guarantee, more than nine out of ten patients have been treated within the target.

That’s not enough, though, and we must work on that remaining ten percent; so, the Charter of Patient Rights and Responsibilities will be revised, and the Scottish Government will work with health boards to implement this better.

It’s also been agreed that additional money will be invested to expand routine operations at the Golden Jubilee Hospital and other treatment centres. NHS Lanarkshire use the Jubilee and I have had good reports from patients about their experiences there; it’s good that capacity will be increased. Waiting times as short as possible must be the aim.

Fewer people are dying from cancer than ever before. As Cancer Research UK has said: “An early diagnosis, followed by speedy treatment, is key.”

That’s what we’re aiming for. That’s what everyone in government, in our NHS and all these volunteers in East Kilbride’s Relay for Life are aiming for – join them midJune. I am sure the sun will keep shining.

Cancer is an illness which touches every family, every group of friends...