Staff shortages affecting cancer treatment in Scottish hospitals
It's said patients are not being seen within six-week target
A lack of funding, forward thinking and shortages of staff has seen cancer treatment stall in Scotland, according to a parliamentary report.
The Scottish Parliament's Cross-Party Group on Cancer, which will publish its report today found that 18% of cancer patients in June were not seen within the six-week target.
The findings of the report have been described as deeply concerning'' by Cancer Research UK, and group convener Anas Sarwar said it must act as anurgent wake-up call'' for the Scottish Government.
He said: Cancer survival is being put at risk because of a chronic staffing shortage in our NHS. This has devastating consequences for patients with cancer and their families and friends.
With a growing and ageing population, the time for action is now. We need a long-term workforce plan backed up by sufficient investment and resources to save lives in Scotland.''
The report estimates that, as the Scottish population grows and the average age rises, 40,000 people will be diagnosed with some form of the disease every year by 2035, compared with 32,200 now.
Cancer Research UK chief executive Michelle Mitchell said: The findings of this inquiry are deeply concerning. Diagnosing cancer early can make all the difference, but there are major shortages in the staff trained to carry out the tests that diagnose cancer.
Cancer services in Scotland are already struggling. Without urgent action, this will only worsen as demand increases.
The Scottish Government must act now and publish a long-term cancer workforce plan - to enable the NHS to do its best by patients today and prepare for rising demand in the future.''
Responding to the report, Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: Cancer is an absolute priority for the Scottish Government and our #100 million cancer strategy is focused on improving survival rates and ensuring we have the right workforce.''
Citing a downward trend in cancer mortality rates'' since 2009, Ms Freeman added:More people are surviving cancer than ever before.''
Early detection of cancer is crucial to this continued improvement which is why last year the Scottish Government launched an #850 million Waiting Times Improvement Plan,'' she said, explaining that part of the funding will be used to reduce waiting times for patients needing urgent treatment by increasing numbers of staff and CT and MRI scanners used in testing.
Ms Freeman added: It is important to note that Scotland will be the first nation in the UK to offer a key support worker to help with the financial, emotional and wider impacts of living with cancer in recognition of the wider impact on patients and their families.''
Tom Martin, from Edinburgh, said he waited around three months to start his cancer treatment, something he fears may have given the disease in his prostate time to spread.
Mr Martin, who has now been given the all-clear, said: NHS workers do an amazing job and I'm so grateful for the treatment and care I received. But cancer services are stretched to the limit, something which is only going to get worse as more people are diagnosed with cancer.
Waiting for my cancer diagnosis and treatment was such an anxious time, for me and my family. You don't know where you stand and there are times you fear for the worse.
I know that if cancer is diagnosed at an early stage, the more successful the treatment is likely to be. I do wonder if I had been seen earlier, would the prostate cancer have been caught sooner, before it had spread. Who knows?
The Scottish Government must not shy away from making long-term plans that will ensure cancer services are able to cope now and in the future. People like me will depend upon it.''
Scottish Labour's health spokeswoman Monica Lennon urged Government ministers to heed the warnings and act urgently''.
Ms Lennon said: This is extremely worrying and the Scottish Government must take urgent action.
Early diagnosis is crucial to giving people the best chance of cancer survival.
NHS staff caring for cancer patients do fantastic work but they are being put under pressure because the services are not properly resourced.
This is unacceptable and is largely down to the lack of sufficient workforce planning by SNP ministers who have been in charge for over 12 years.''
Scottish Conservatives health spokesman Miles Briggs added: This is another stark warning that the SNP Government's shambolic stewardship of the NHS is harming Scotland's cancer patients.
A damning report like this must spur this complacent SNP Government into action.'