Minister urged to ‘pull out all the stops’ to improve cancer waiting times

Health Secretary Neil Gray is being urged to “pull out all the stops” to ensure cancer patients are treated in time, as figures showed more than a quarter wait longer than the two-month target to start getting help.

The Scottish Government came under fire as “appalling” Public Health Scotland data revealed between October and December last year, 73.5% of patients referred with an “urgent suspicion” of cancer began treatment within 62 days.

Just one health board in Scotland – NHS Lanarkshire – met the Government target of 95% of patients beginning cancer treatment within this time, and Mr Gray accepted performance against the aim “remains challenged”.

While the overall figures marked an improvement on the previous quarter – when 72.1% of patients started treatment within two months of being referred – they were lower than the 83.7% achieved pre-pandemic, in the last three months of 2019.

The latest figures show almost nine in 10 (89.4%) of those referred when breast cancer was suspected began treatment within the 62-day target, as did 85.6% of patients suspected of having lung cancer.

But less than half (49.2%) of those referred when urological cancers were suspected started treatment in that time – including 42.9% of those with prostate cancer.

Scottish Conservative health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane said: “Scotland continues to face a ticking timebomb when it comes to cancer cases on the SNP’s watch.

“It is appalling that over a quarter of cancer patients are still waiting too long to start treatment.

“Getting diagnosed and treated as early possible saves lives and keeps families intact.

“These delays are deadly for many patients, who will also be suffering additional mental turmoil with their world stopping while waiting to be seen.”

The Tory, who is a GP as well as an MSP, added: “Successive SNP health secretaries have failed to meet this target for well over a decade now, and still have no plan to fix the crisis in cancer care.

“Neil Gray needs to act now to ensure money is getting to frontline NHS services to drastically improve cancer waiting times, rather than squandering resources on pointless bureaucracy.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said it is “hugely worrying to see that waiting times are still far longer than they should be for thousands of people across Scotland”.

He added: “The Government’s cancer strategy risks becoming meaningless to everyone suffering these long waits.

“We know that this is a matter of life and death, with early intervention being crucial to chances of survival.

The Health Secretary needs to pull out all the stops and prove that things can get better on his watch.

“Patients deserve to be treated quickly and effectively, instead many are being forced to endure lengthy waits – that is nowhere near good enough.

“The Health Secretary needs to pull out all the stops and prove that things can get better on his watch. Staff and patients are tired of being continually failed by a Government that can’t match its words with action.”

Similarly Labour health spokesperson Jackie Baillie said: “Treating cancer is a race against time, so it’s deeply concerning that one in four Scots with an urgent referral waited more than two months to start treatment.

“The SNP must reduce waiting times so that patients don’t spend sleepless nights waiting for their appointment and know that they have the best chance possible of recovery.”

Dr Sorcha Hume, public affairs manager for Cancer Research UK in Scotland, said: “These long waiting times are a symptom of the immense pressures facing the NHS.

“It’s unacceptable this situation has gone on for so long. Despite the incredible efforts of staff, the system is clearly unable to cope.

“It’s crucial the Scottish Government takes urgent action.

“Introducing innovative ways of working, as well as investing in staff and new specialist equipment, would make a big difference to those anxiously waiting to find out if they have cancer and their families.”

The figures also show the target for newly diagnosed patients to start treatment within 31 days of a decision being made to treat them was met for 94.7% in the final three months of 2024.

That is up from 94.3% in the previous quarter, but is still slightly below the 95% target – although this was achieved by 12 out of 15 health boards.

Mr Gray said: “We are treating more patients with cancer on time, within both standards, compared to the same quarter five years ago – 4.5% more within the 31-day standard and 1.6% more within the 62-day standard.

“The 31-day standard was narrowly missed this quarter, with 94.7% of patients treated within 31 days of a decision to treat, with the median wait for treatment of just four days.

“The 62-day standard remains challenged, however the median wait is 49 days from urgent suspicion of cancer referral to first treatment.

“We have invested over £40 million over the past five years to support cancer services and improve waiting times, with a focus on urology, colorectal and breast, with £11.3 million provided to boards in 2024-25.

“A further £1.7 million has been directed towards diagnostics and treatment for patients referred with an urgent suspicion of cancer to reduce waiting lists.”