Every NHS board fails over early cancer tests

SCOTS face a postcode lottery on early cancer diagnosis, with health boards across the country failing to improve detection rates.

Only one in four people with breast, colorectal or lung cancer were diagnosed at the earliest opportunity in 2017-18.

In 2011, the Scottish Government set a target of half of people being diagnosed at the earliest stage by 2021. But yesterday’s figures show all health boards lagging behind.

Statistics from NHS body National Services Scotland show that receiving an early diagnosis could depend on where you live.

Last night, critics warned the figures reveal ‘terrifying gaps’ in cancer provision across the country. In NHS Dumfries and Galloway, 31.7 per cent of patients were told at the earliest stage that they had one of the three common forms of cancer – when the disease was at stage one.

But in Shetland only 16.7 per cent of people were diagnosed at the earliest stage. In Grampian, Western Isles and Borders, just 22 per cent of cases were detected at stage one.

Scottish Tory health spokesman Miles Briggs said: ‘These alarming statistics demonstrate the terrifying gaps in cancer provision. It is a scandal that under the SNP too few cancer patients are being diagnosed early enough, which will reduce the chance of a good outcome.’

A total of 24,786 people in Scotland had breast, colorectal or lung cancer diagnosed in 2017-18, but only 25.5 per cent found out they had the disease at the earliest opportunity.

In the most deprived areas of the country, 22.6 per cent were diagnosed at stage one, compared with 29.1 per cent in the least deprived areas. Gordon Matheson, Cancer Research UK’s public affairs manager in Scotland, said: ‘It remains unacceptable that those living in poorer communities have significantly less chance of being diagnosed at an early stage when treatment is more likely to be successful.

‘For this to change, it’s essential we see more tailored resources being targeted at poorer communities.

‘The Scottish Government must also ensure that there are enough staff to do this vital work.’

Scottish Lib Dem health spokesman Alex Cole-Hamilton said: ‘It’s so disheartening to see the Scottish Government still failing to meet its target, years on from when it was meant to. Early diagnosis of cancer is essential and can make all the difference to successful treatment.

‘Disappointingly for patients and their loved ones, this is yet another broken promise.’

Scottish Labour health spokesman Monica Lennon said: ‘It is vital that cancers are detected early to give people the best chance of survival.

‘That is why it is so shocking to learn that people living in deprived communities are not getting diagnosed early at the same rate as those from better-off backgrounds.

‘Health inequalities such as these shame our society.’

Last night, Public Health Minister Joe FitzPatrick said: ‘It’s particularly encouraging to see that the largest increase in the proportion of stageone diagnoses of bowel, breast and lung cancers combined has been in the most deprived areas of Scotland. More people are surviving cancer than ever before, with urgent cancer referrals fast-tracked.

‘Cancer death rates have decreased by more than 10 per cent in the last decade, and early detection is crucial to this.’