Cancer waiting times branded 'ticking time bomb'

The state of cancer waiting times in the region has been labelled a “ticking timebomb” — as new figures reveal one patient waited more than five months to begin treatment.

- STUART MCFARLANE

The issue has been put in the spotlight after data was published by Public Health Scotland.

This highlighted the compliance of Scotland's health boards with national targets related to the wait time between patients being urgently referred over a suspicion of cancer to kicking off treatment.

A Scottish Government target states that 95 per cent of patients should be seen within 62 days of that urgent suspicion of cancer referral.

But only a single health board — NHS Lanarkshire — met that goal from January 1 to March 31.

In Forth Valley, the figure sat at 71.7 per cent, with 203 people being seen within the 62 day guideline.

The average wait time for patients was within the target at 42 days - but one unlucky person was forced to wait 163 days.

Conservative Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Alexander Stewart took aim at the Scottish Government's handling of waiting times — and said more money must be dedicated to fixing frontline services.

Mr Stewart said: "These shocking statistics point to a ticking timebomb of cancer cases in NHS Forth Valley and across Scotland as a whole.