Wed, 14/12/2016 - 11:16
Robert Music, Chief Executive of Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust, said: "It is very concerning to see that the percentage of patients in Scotland given an urgent referral when cancer was suspected who began their treatment within 62 days has fallen to 87.1%. This is a significant drop from the previous quarter when the figure was 89.8% and well below the target of 95%. The statistics for cervical cancer are the lowest for all recorded cancers with just 73.9% meeting the target which is completely unacceptable.
"The sooner a cancer is detected and treated, the better the outcome for the patient and if waiting times continue to increase we are going to see increased stress, upset and potentially lives lost. We know from many of the women we support that waiting for results and for treatment to begin is a very stressful part of their experience and this matter needs to be addressed with a matter of urgency."
Find the ISD Scotland report on cancer waiting times here