Quarter of cancer patients wait more than two months to start treatment

Performance against a key cancer waiting time target has fallen – with “truly terrifying” figures showing a quarter of those urgently referred to specialists had to wait more than two months to start treatment.

The target of having patients begin treatment within 62 days of being referred to specialists was also missed for almost a third of those with prostate cancer, according to the latest Public Health Scotland (PHS) data.

It shows that of the 4,624 Scots referred to specialists with an urgent suspicion of cancer between July and September this year, less than three-quarters (72%) started treatment within 62 days.

That is down from 73.7% in the previous three months, and well below the target of 95%.

The data shows no health board in Scotland achieved the 62-day target – although NHS Borders fell just short, with 94.9% of those who were urgently referred beginning cancer treatment within two months.

In NHS Grampian, the target was missed for more than two-fifths of patients, with only 57% starting treatment within 62 days.

While 94.7% of patients suspected of having hepatopancreatobiliary cancer – which can affect the liver, pancreas and gallbladder – started their treatment in the target time, this was only achieved for 36.4% of prostate cancer patients.

Scottish Conservative health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane said: “These figures are truly terrifying.

“It is appalling that well over a quarter of cancer patients didn’t start treatment for over two months after they were diagnosed.”

The Tory MSP, who is also a practising GP, added: “Everyone knows somebody who has been diagnosed with cancer and starting treatment as quickly as possible is crucial to patients’ chances of survival, yet no NHS board in Scotland is meeting this target.”

Demanding action from the Health Secretary, Dr Gulhane added: “With cancer waiting times heading in the wrong direction, the scandal-ridden Michael Matheson is presiding over a ticking timebomb.

“He must urgently get a grip of this crisis now, otherwise there will be devastating consequences.”

Labour health spokesperson Dame Jackie Baillie meanwhile said the figures “plainly show that Scotland is in the grip of a cancer care crisis”.

She added: “Three years on from the pandemic and Scotland’s cancer services still have not recovered – with vital targets being missed repeatedly.

“Cancer remains Scotland’s biggest killer, but successive SNP health ministers – including Humza Yousaf – have completely failed to support our NHS and tackle this crisis.

“Lives are on the line due to SNP failure – we can’t go on like this.

“It’s time for a proper plan to rescue cancer services by bolstering frontline staff and using technology to bring down waits.”

The comments came as performance against a second key cancer waiting target also slipped back slightly.

PHS data shows that between July and September, 94.9% of patients started treatment within 31 days of a decision being made on how to best care for them.

This was down from 95.2% in the previous three months, and means the 95% standard was narrowly missed.

However, this was met by 11 of Scotland’s 15 NHS boards – Golden Jubilee National Hospital, NHS Ayrshire and Arran, NHS Borders, NHS Dumfries and Galloway, NHS Forth Valley, NHS Highland, NHS Lanarkshire, NHS Orkney, NHS Shetland, NHS Tayside, and NHS Western Isles.

With performance below the 95% standard for both treatment time targets, Cancer Research UK said “chronic workforce shortages” and a lack of specialist equipment mean “the system can’t cope”.

Dr Sorcha Hume, the charity’s public affairs manager in Scotland, said: “Waiting to start cancer treatment is an incredibly worrying time for patients and their families. Long days and sleepless nights add to the anxiety of suspecting you have a disease that could progress if left untreated.

“NHS staff are working incredibly hard but years of chronic workforce shortages and a lack of specialist equipment means the system can’t cope.

“It’s crucial the Scottish Government addresses these issues and commits to swift implementation of the new cancer strategy to ensure that services are fit for now and for the future.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “While the median wait from an urgent suspicion of cancer referral to treatment is 50 days, and around 700 more cancer patients were treated this quarter compared to pre-Covid, today’s data shows that diagnostic pressures remain.

“The Scottish Government has invested a further £10 million this year to support cancer waiting times and continue to redesign diagnostics services – developing optimal cancer diagnostic pathways, testing the role of AI and delivering rapid cancer diagnostic services.”