Breast cancer patients’ plea to health secretary

Breast cancer patients given lower -than - s t a n d a r d chemotherapy doses by NHS Tayside have called on Jeane Freeman to help resolve the “grievous damage” caused by unanswered questions over their care.

Around 200 women were given lower doses between December 2016 and April 2019 in a bid to reduce harmful side effects, a decision that a Scottish G o v e r nm e n t - commissioned report later stated resulted in an increased risk of their cancer reoccurring.

A support group set up by women and families impacted by the issue is asking the health secretary to become directly involved in the final months of her parliamentary c a r e e r, following fresh revelations about a botched review into the health board.

The Courier revealed the latest in a line of issues with reports on the care offered to NHS Tayside patients, after a senior doctor removed his name from the medical register in the wake of an undeclared conflic t of interest, collapsing an independent probe.

T he patient group – which calls itself NHS Ta y s i d e Cancer Care Support Group – has railed against a series of flawed or disputed official reports commissioned by the Scottish Government and other professional bodies for “resolutely failing to recognise the effects on the patients and families who must live with this”.

It is now calling for Ms Freeman to help finally secure answers and has urged her to organise a digital question-andanswer session open to any interested participant affected by the treatment.

Perth-based campaigner Lee Dennis, founder of the NHS Tayside Cancer Care Support Group, said: “We would like her to provide a full breakdown of the issue’s timeline to date, in terms of what the government has been asked to do, and by whom, what the government has done, and how it intends to repair the grievous damage done to hundreds of patients and their families.”

Mrs Dennis went on: “The investigation of this matter has never reached any sort of satisfactory conclusion.

“The sad reality of the situation is that, in tangible terms, patients and families remain very much in the same position they found themselves in back in 2018.

“This has undermined confidence in our health system, and its checks and balances. Crucially, the reason for this parade of official investigations into NHS Tayside’s practices was initiated by patients being unknowingly underdosed without their fully-informed consent.

“Surely this is what an elected health secretary is for, to intervene on behalf of the public.”

Scottish Labour health spokeswoman Mo n i c a Lennon said Ms Freeman “owes it” to the patients and families to meet them before she stands down at next y e a r ’s Scottish Parliament election.

She said: “The least the health secretary can do is take part in a digital Q&A session with the patients and their families, who still have many unanswered questions.”

Lee Dennis.