My shame over cancer delays, by BMA chief
Doctors’ leader blames ‘decades of poor planning’
THE leader of Scotland’s doctors says he feels ‘ashamed’ of the care his cancer patients receive as they are waiting too long for treatment on the NHS.
Dr Iain Kennedy, the new chairman of the British Medical Association in Scotland, said patients face long waits at every stage of their diagnosis and treatment – from their first GP appointment to surgery or chemotherapy – amid massive staffing shortages.
He called for greater transparency from Scottish ministers about the ‘current failings’ of the NHS.
He said: ‘When it reaches the stage that patients who have cancer diagnoses are having to complain to their GPs because they are not able to get seen and they are not able to get treatment, that tells us just how bad things are becoming.
‘I have a number of seriously ill patients with cancer (where) I feel ashamed about the service the NHS is currently able to deliver because of workforce shortages. We have lost sight of how long people are actually queueing for their care.’
Patients are facing the longest delays, from receiving a hospital referral to treatment commencing, since the recording system began in 2012.
No patient is supposed to wait more than two months between being referred and the start of treatment. However, the latest figures show that only 76.9 per cent of patients met that target.
Staff shortages have been blamed for the delays.
Dr Kennedy said: ‘There are huge workforce shortages.
‘This is because of poor planernment ning over decades by the Government. It needs to be addressed urgently.’
He fears that the coming winter will drive more doctors and nurses to resign from the NHS because apologising for failures on a daily basis would become ‘intolerable’. A Scottish Govspokesman said: ‘Clearly our NHS remains under pressure, but we are diagnosing and treating more cancer patients than was the case prior to the pandemic.
‘Once a decision to treat has been made, people wait on average four days for treatment. However we must do more to improve our diagnostic pathways for cancer.
‘Work continues on our new strategy to build on actions that are already under way and improve outcomes and experience for patients.’
Four years ago, Dr Kennedy, whose practice is in Inverness, was one of four doctors who blew the whistle on a culture of bullying within NHS Highland, leading to a review of the health board.
‘Poor planning over decades’