Patients wait over two months for cancer care

The NHS continues to miss key cancer waiting times, with new figures showing a third of patients in one health board area had to wait more than two months for treatment.

NHS data from July to September this year showed only 66.7 per cent of patients in NHS Orkney who were urgently referred started receiving help within the stated 62-day window.

Just three health boards in Scotland met the standard – NHS Borders, NHS Dumfries and Galloway, and NHS Lanarkshire.

The standard across Scotland of 62 days is meant to apply to all patients in Scotland referred to hospital because it is suspected they have cancer.

The figures showed less than three-quarters of urological cancer patients (74.1 per cent) started their treatment within two months of being referred.

The aim of having 95 per cent of people starting treatment within 62 days was not met for any of the ten cancer types there are figures for. Performances even worsened in some areas.

The data revealed 87.2 per cent of all cancer patients across Scotland started their treatment within 62 days.

That was a slight improvement from the previous three months when the proportion was 86.9 per cent, but means the standard has been missed again.

Health campaigners at Cancer Research UK said it was “hugely concerning” the target was not being achieved.