Patients with cancer face ‘unacceptable’ waiting times

Target for prompt diagnosis missed across country

CANCER patients face “unacceptable” queues for diagnosis and treatment with the Scottish NHS, a leading charity has warned.

The number of cancer patients who are not treated fast enough to meet Government targets for waiting times has risen to the highest level since current records began.

New figures show 10 per cent of patients are still waiting to start treatment more than two months after they were referred to hospital with suspected cancer. And the proportion of people missing out on swift care is even higher in some parts of Scotland.

Gregor McNie, Cancer Research UK’s senior public affairs manager in Scotland, said: “At a time when cancer is Scotland’s most common cause of death, it is unacceptable that this target hasn’t been met.

“Patients must be diagnosed and treated swiftly if they are to have the best chance of survival.”

The Scottish Government unveiled a new cancer strategy in March this year which included earlier diagnosis of patients among its priorities.

However, in the months that followed the proportion of patients starting treatment within 62 days of their hospital referral dropped to a new low.

Between April and June 83 per cent of cancer patients in the Highlands were treated inside the target time, 85 per cent in Grampian, 87 per cent in Greater Glasgow and Clyde and 89 per cent across Scotland as a whole. Cancer Research UK described this as “the worst performance since records began in 2010”.

Trisha Hatt, strategic partnership manager for Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “Macmillan is deeply disappointed that the cancer waiting times have been missed yet again. We know that 75 per cent of Scots are diagnosed late. Being treated late as well all adds up to cause real problems getting appropriate care.”

Scottish hospitals are performing better against a second goal – to ensure once cancer has been diagnosed that all patients start their agreed treatment within a month.

Health boards delivered this for almost 96 per cent of patients between April and June and the average waiting time to commence therapy is just six days. The struggle to hit the 62 day target suggests hold ups are occurring as patients queue for diagnostic tests to determine if they have cancer and to find out more about their disease.

Health Secretary Shona Robison said she wanted “health boards to work even harder to improve early access to diagnostics so that patients can get a decision on whether they need treatment or not as quickly as possible”.

Ms Robison continued: “This is where we are focusing our efforts – with an additional £2 million invested this August to support immediate improvements in diagnostic and treatment capacity.

“In addition, health boards who have particular challenges with waiting times are subject to enhanced monitoring by the Scottish Government, to provide support and assistance in bringing down waits.

“We are also concentrating on improving services across Scotland for patients with urological cancer.”

The new cancer strategy promised £100m for improving cancer care including investment in preventing the disease.

However, Scottish Labour health spokesperson Anas Sarwar said the SNP Government had become “complacent on cancer”.

He said: “The 62-day standard for urgent referrals to treatment has gone backwards, and the target has not been met for three years now.

“Only two out of Scotland’s 14 health boards have met the standards – it would simply be wrong for SNP ministers in Edinburgh to try to spin their way out of this.”

‘‘ Patients must be diagnosed and treated swiftly if they are to have the best chance of survival

A GLASGOW hair and beauty salon owner who describes herself as a hustler is hoping to avoid being fired by Lord Sugar in the latest series of The Apprentice.

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She can be seen in the BBC 1 show from Thursday, October 6.