Cancer treatment waiting time targets missed

Almost three in 10 patients being referred with urgent suspicion of cancer are waiting longer than the 62-day target for their first treatment, new figures show.

Public Health Scotland statistics showed 72.1% of patients started treatment within the target time between July and September, a decrease from 73.2% in the previous quarter.

Performance against the 95% target has been missed continually for more than a decade.

The Scottish government said missing the standard was "disappointing" and more must be done to improve waits.

The Public Health Scotland report looks at two key cancer waiting times.

The 62-day standard is based on the time from urgent suspicion of cancer referral to first cancer treatment.

Figures showed there were 4,353 eligible patients, down 2.2% on the previous quarter, but more than 1,200 did not start treatment within the two-month target.

NHS Lanarkshire was the only health board in Scotland to meet the standard.

Meanwhile, the 31-day standard, which measures the time from a decision to treat to the start of first treatment for newly-diagnosed primary cancers, was also missed, despite being met between April and June.

Between July and September, 94.3% of patients were seen within this timeframe, according to the data.

Cancer Research UK's public affairs manager in Scotland, Dr Sorcha Hume, said the waiting times faced by patients for cancer treatment were "completely unacceptable".

"NHS staff are doing their best but they're battling against underinvestment alongside rising cancer cases," she said.

"If we're to turn the tide on the anxiety faced by so many, we need to see adequate funding for staff and equipment.

"Innovative reform and rapid progress against Scotland's cancer strategy is also essential."

Scottish Conservative health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane said the figures were shocking.

"Scotland is facing a ticking timebomb of cancer cases on the SNP's watch," he said.

"It is crucial that cancer treatment is started as quickly as possible, but the SNP have failed to meet their own cancer waiting time targets for over a decade."

Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour's Health Spokesperson, said: "Receiving a cancer diagnosis is stressful enough, but this failure to meet both treatment standards yet again also means that precious time to beat cancer is slipping away."

Alex Cole-Hamilton, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader, called for a new plan to be put in place to tackle cancer waiting times.

"Every Scot diagnosed with cancer should be able to access treatment quickly and effectively," he said.

"Timely treatment for cancer is a matter of life and death - the stakes here could simply not be higher."

Health secretary Neil Gray said the NHS remains under pressure.

"This is reflected in the fact that we're treating more patients with cancer on time compared to the same quarter 10 years ago," he said.

"It is disappointing to see that the 31-day standard was narrowly missed this quarter, but it is welcome to see that the median wait for the 62-day standard is 49 days to treatment."

Mr Gray said the Scottish government was investing in ways to support cancer waiting times improvements, including reducing backlogs that built up throughout the pandemic and improving capacity by tackling systemic challenges like delayed discharge.