Listen
Cancer waiting times
15/08/2007
Cancer patients and their families will expect nothing less than full compliance with tough waiting time targets by the end of this year, Nicola Sturgeon warned today.
The Cabinet Secretary for Health said that specific action was now taking place to tackle issues of underperformance and scale of challenge at Board level, and to target particular cancer types, such as prostate, where performance issues have been highlighted.
Ms Sturgeon was commenting on the latest Cancer Waiting Times statistics, covering the first quarter of 2007 (Jan-Mar). Against a target of 95 per cent, these statistics show a headline figure of 84.5 per cent - up six per cent on a year-on-year basis, but flat compared to the previous quarter.
Ms Sturgeon said:
"If anyone was in any doubt about the scale of challenge Boards face to meet the 95 per cent, these latest statistics should make things crystal clear. This target should have been met by the end of 2005 and the fact is that this is now long overdue.
"These latest figures, for the last full quarter before this year's election, show the full scale of the challenge inherited by the new Scottish government.
"The fact that there was no overall progress between the end of 2006 and the start of 2007 makes the action plan I announced in May all the more relevant.
"It is vital that patients get the best treatment, appropriate to their needs, as quickly as possible. That's the message I've been taking to Boards throughout Scotland as part of the on-going annual review process.
"I have demanded weekly reports on progress from all Health Boards to ensure they get on track to meet the end 2007 target I have set.
"Some Boards have shown progress over the past year, with NHS Forth Valley and Grampian showing significant performance improvements of 25 per cent and 14 per cent respectively and others such as Fife (nine per cent up) and Greater Glasgow & Clyde and Tayside both eight per cent up.
"However, a lot still needs to be done, especially in those Boards where I have now directed our Cancer Performance Support Team - NHS Highland, Lanarkshire and Lothian, where performance is still well adrift from the target.
"We are also taking specific action to target the cancer services where performance issues continue to be seen, for example urological and in particular prostate cancer, where intensive work is taking place to better manage the whole referral to treatment process.
"Different Boards face different challenges, but I am clear that the NHS as a whole should be working together to ensure that the 95 per cent target is met by the end of this year at the latest - patients and their families should expect nothing less."
On May 29, when the previous quarter cancer wait statistics were released, Nicola Sturgeon announced that she was setting a deadline of the end of 2007 for the 95 per cent target to be met. This target is for a maximum 62 days from urgent referral to treatment with a target compliance rate of 95 per cent.
Ms Sturgeon also announced that the Cancer Performance Support Team be redirected from Glasgow and Forth Valley - where cancer performance had increased over the past year - into Lanarkshire and Lothian.