Key cancer waiting time target missed again by Scottish NHS

A key cancer waiting times target has been missed for more than a quarter of patients, new figures have showed.

The latest figures from Public Health Scotland disclosed that between April and June 2023 only 73.7% of those patients referred with an urgent suspicion of cancer started getting treatment within 62 days.

Performance had improved compared to the previous three months – when only 69.5% of patients started their treatment within the two month target time.

But performance continues to be well below the Scottish Government standard of having 95% of patients starting treatment within such a time following a referral where cancer is suspected.

That target has not been met since the last three months of 2012, more than a decade ago, although figures from the quarter before the Covid pandemic started showed more than four out of five (83.7%) were treated within the target time in October to December 2019.

A total of 4,299 patients were referred with an urgent suspicion of cancer over the period April to June – with this up by 1.6% on the previous three month and 15.5% higher than the last three months of 2019.

But none of Scotland’s 15 regional health boards achieved the target of having 95% of patients start treatment within 62 days – with 61.8% of patients in the Western Isles beginning treatment in this time.

In NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde – Scotland’s largest health board – 65.2% of patients started treatment within the target time in April to June.

The data also showed fewer than half of patients (46.5%) suspected of having cervical cancer began treatment within 62 days.

And only 36% of patients referred after bowel cancer testing started treatment within two months.

However the figures showed the target for patients receiving help within 31 days of a decision being made to treat them was met, with 95.2% of patients starting their treatment within a month of this in April to June.

This was up from 94% in the previous three months, with 12 of Scotland’s 15 NHS boards achieving the standard in the most recent quarter.

Commenting on the figures a Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We are treating more patients on 62-and 31-day pathways – and within both standards – than before the Covid-19 pandemic.

“It is positive that the 31-day standard was met this quarter with a median wait for treatment of just four days.

“Diagnostic pressures remain – which is reflected in 62-day performance – and why we continue to redesign services through optimal cancer diagnostic pathways, establishing Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services and Urology Diagnostic Hubs.

“A further £10 million of non-recurring Cancer Waiting Times funding has been made available in 2023/24 to support cancer performance, with a focus on urology, colorectal and breast.”