Concerns as cancer tests waiting times now longer than ever

rocketed from 329 in November 2015 to a record 5,543 by April this year.

Gregor McNie, Cancer Research UK’s senior public affairs manager for Scotland, said the figures were “extremely worrying” and called for the endoscopy delays to be addressed “as a priority”. He added: “There are also huge variations in performance between health boards.

“It may be capacity and skills could be shared to alleviate the lengthy waits in some areas.

“We want the Scottish Government to encourage this collaboration, and ensure what works in some areas of Scotland applies to all parts of the country.”

Meanwhile, the percentage of patients waiting more than 12 weeks for a new outpatient appointment has nearly doubled from 14.3 per cent to 26 per cent year-on-year, and there has also been a deterioration in compliance with the Government’s 12-week treatment time guarantee in relation to inpatient surgeries and day case procedures.

Only 84.3 per cent of patients were treated on time during the quarter to the end of June this year, compared to 91.3 per cent for the same quarter in 2016.

It comes amid growing demand driven by an ageing population and rising consultant vacancies.

Alex Cole-Hamilton, health spokesman for the Scottish Liberal Democrats, said the Scottish Government was “now letting patients down on an unprecedented scale”.

Labour health spokesman Anas Sarwar added: “Our hospitals do not have enough doctors and nurses and patients are losing out.”

The Government announced £50 million of funding earlier this year to help cut waiting times and support the roll-out of a less invasive test for bowel cancer.

Yesterday,

Health Secretary Shona Robison announced a new expert group would help health boards tackle waiting times for elective procedures and diagnostic tests. It will be led by the chairman of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, Professor Derek Bell, and Paula Hawkins, the chief executive of NHS Fife.