The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Cancer wait time figures mixed
NHS Highland has recorded one of the lowest average cancer waiting times in Scotland – despite one patient put on hold for almost a year before being treated.
New figures show that the north health board had the second lowest “median wait” for cancer treatment, at 33 days, between October 1 and December 31 last year.
However, it also recorded the second highest “maximum wait” at 302 days, and fell short of the Scottish Government’s target to have 95% patients treated within 62 days of referral.
Statistics for NHS Highland show that 131 of 152 referrals received treatment on target, or 86.2%.
NHS Western Isles had the lowest proportion of referrals meeting the target, at 66.7%, or 14 out of 21 patients.
NHS Orkney and NHS Shetland both hit the target for all urgent cancer referrals in the period.
Across Scotland, 87.5% of patients– 2,846outof 3,254 – started treatment within the 62-day standard in the final quarter of last year.
On a separate target to have 95% patients who need treatment starting it within 31 days, boards on the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland all had 100% records in the period, with NHS Highland meeting it in 95.7% of cases.
A spokesman for NHS Highland said: “Within Highland we have particular pressures in meeting targets in urology and colorectal. Urology in particular is a problem for most of the boards in Scotland.
“We are working with national colleagues to improve matters and have agreed a number of actions but these will take time to implement.”
Gregor McNie, of Cancer Research UK, said: “These latest figures show once again a worrying picture for cancer services, with many patients still waiting an unacceptably long time to start cancer treatment.”
Health Secretary Shona Robison said: “Backed by our five-year £100 million cancer strategy, last December I announced a changes to benefit patients and increase access for all cancer patients – particularly focused on urology and colorectal cancer.”
“Unacceptably long time to start cancer treatment”