WIREDGOV

Support to drive down cancer waiting times.

Health boards across Scotland are being given a £4.05 million boost to help meet cancer waiting times, Health Secretary Shona Robison announced today.

This comes as figures published today show that every NHS health board in Scotland has achieved the 95 per cent target standard of patients receiving treatment within 31 days of the decision to treat being taken.

In total 96.5 per cent of patients were seen within this timeframe for the quarter ending March 31.

The average length of time a patient in Scotland waits to start their cancer treatment is just six days, again from when a decision is made on what treatment is needed.

On average patients in Scotland start treatment within 38 days after urgent referral.

For the 62 day referral to treatment target, 91.8 per cent of patients were seen within the timeframe – slightly higher than for the same period last year.

Today’s investment will help health boards to meet the 62 day cancer standard by building diagnostic and treatment capacity. All boards will receive funding towards improving waits, with further support for specific boards experiencing additional challenges.

Ms Robison said:

“Being diagnosed with cancer is extremely distressing and it is vital that when this happens people begin their treatment as quickly as possible.

“I welcome that the average length of time a patient waits to start cancer treatment in Scotland is just six days as we know the sooner this begins the better their chance of survival.

“As today’s figures show we are consistently reaching the demanding 31 day target for treatment despite the fact that our NHS is treating more people than ever before and coping with the pressures of an aging population.

“They also reflect the challenging winter period experienced by health boards across Scotland, with a dip in performance usually experienced in the first three months of the year due to the pressures of winter.

“Our cancer targets are rightly rigorous as patients deserve the best cancer care possible but there is no doubt that we must do more – especially on our 62 day target. While this has increased from 84.5 per cent in 2007, we remain fully committed to once again reaching our standard of 95 per cent.

“This is why today’s £4.05 million funding, which comes on top of the £8.5 million invested over the past three years to improve cancer services, is extremely important.

“This will help improve on diagnostic waits across the country as well as provide local support through the recruitment of a new consultant in the West of Scotland and additional resource for endoscopy services.

“The quality of cancer care is something everyone cares deeply about and we will continue to do everything it can to make sure that all patients and their families get the support they need.”

The Scottish Government’s £30 million Detect Cancer Early programme continues to support early diagnosis and access to treatment.

Notes To Editors

There has been a 43.9 per cent increase in the number of consultant oncologist working in the NHS since September 2006.

There has been a 45.8 per cent increase the number of cancer clinical nurse specialists since September 2009. 

In addition to this there has been a 21.3 per cent increase the number of radiography staff since September 2007.

The cancer waiting times publication is available on ISD Scotland’s websitehttp://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Waiting-Times/Cancer/

The figures are also available on the NHS Performs website: nhsperforms.scot

NHS Performs

Information Services Division and Health Protection Scotland have collaborated with the Scottish Government to develop the new standalone website, NHS Performs, nhsperforms.scot

Launched today (30 June) the new website will provide readily accessible performance statistics at hospital and health board level.

Topics include weekly A&E waiting time figures, monthly delayed discharge figures, and monthly cancelled operations statistics.

NHS Performs includes data that has been previously published (or published simultaneously). The information included in NHS Performs is a small selection of data published by ISD.

Currently users are able to select one of the 30 hospitals in Scotland that have a core A&E, and then view a suite of indicators and trend charts. Additional hospitals are being considered for inclusion in future updates.

Over the summer, user and public engagement will be carried out to specifically inform the development of further content and any revisions to the structure and presentation of the site.

Currently users are able to select one of the 30 hospitals in Scotland that have a core A&E, and then view a suite of indicators and trend charts. Additional hospitals are being considered for inclusion in future updates.

The information included in NHS Performs is a small selection of data published by ISD.

Over the summer, user and public engagement will be carried out to specifically inform the development of further content and any revisions to the structure and presentation of the site.