Cancer wait times at ‘ten-year high’

CANCER treatment waiting times have slumped to near-record levels, damning statistics show.

Opposition parties yesterday branded the figures a ‘national scandal’ and cancer charities demanded swift action.

Between January and March this year, only 85 per cent of patients urgently referred for treatment began it within the 2-day target, Scottish Government figures state.

This falls short of the 95 per cent goal and is similar to waiting times last seen more than a decade ago.

Some 93.5 per cent of patients waited no more than 31 days for their first cancer treatment – down from 94.8 per cent in the same quarter last year.

Gordon McLean, of Macmillan Cancer Support, said: ‘We are disappointed to see one of the worst waiting times since records began.

‘Every week that passes without this crisis being resolved is another week people face anguished waits to find out if they have cancer or to start treatment.

‘There’s an urgent need for health boards to learn from the areas where targets are being met. It’s also time to be open with patients and the public on the reasons for the delays and action being taken.’ The Scottish Government has already announced an extra £14million to cut the wait for diagnostic testing.

It is hoped the number of people waiting for such tests will be reduced by at least 2,500 by September, and 5,000 by December.

But Labour’s health spokesman Anas Sarwar accused the Government of ‘failing patients’, adding: ‘Having one person waiting too long for cancer is one too many — having thousands wait too long is a national scandal.

‘Shona Robison’s legacy at health is one of horrendous mismanagement then total denial.’

Tory MSP Miles Briggs said: ‘This is another appalling set of statistics.

‘The SNP needs to explain why it has let this performance slip so badly. It’s totally unacceptable.

‘Ministers have to answer why there’s been a more than 10 per cent nosedive in the last six years.’

Speaking before stepping down as health secretary, Shona Robison said: ‘Boards have given me reassurance cancer patients continue to be prioritised, however, the performance is simply not good enough in an area of high clinical priority.’