Scottish Conservative candidate for Gordon and Buchan Harriet Cross has urged the SNP-Green Government to assist NHS Grampian in addressing cancer waiting times which are among the highest in Scotland.
Ms Cross’ call comes after new statistics showed just 54.4% of patients in Grampian started treatment two months after being referred between October and December 2023.
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The figure was worse than the previous quarter when 57% were seen within the two-month target time.
One patient in Grampian waited a “scarcely believable” 312 days to begin treatment last year.
Ms Cross said starting cancer treatment early is “crucial” for a patient’s chance of survival and successive SNP health secretaries have failed to tackle the cancer waiting time crisis in the North East.
She has urged SNP health secretary Neil Gray to urgently improve cancer waiting times to prevent more patients across Aberdeenshire facing the potentially devastating consequences of delays to their treatment.
Scottish Conservative candidate for Gordon and Buchan, Harriet Cross, said: “We are facing a ticking timebomb when it comes to cancer cases in NHS Grampian.
“It should shame SNP ministers that just over half, 54%, of North East cancer patients started treatment within the target time of two months in the last few months of last year.
“Everyone knows someone who has been diagnosed with this awful disease and how crucial starting treatment is for their chances of survival.
“Successive SNP health secretaries have simply failed to get a grip of this and provide sufficient help needed for NHS Grampian to tackle these delays.
“It is scarcely believable that one patient waited 312 days to begin treatment which is completely unacceptable and the toll that this must have taken on them and their family is unimaginable.
“I urge Neil Gray – the SNP health secretary – to act now to urgently improve this situation for cancer patients in Grampian.”
Figures:
Scotland: 71.1% (October- December 2023) 71.9% (July-September 2023) Maximum wait for a patient 361 days
NHS Grampian: 54.4% (Oct-Dec) 57% (July-Sep). Maximum wait 312 days
Orkney: 100% (Oct-Dec) 60% (July-Sep) Maximum wait 38 days
Shetland: 50% (Oct-Dec) 69.6% (July-Sep) Maximum wait 120 days
Tayside: 71.5% (Oct-Dec) 72.7% (July-Sep) Maximum wait 117 days
Western Isles: 69.2% (Oct-Dec) 81.8% (July-Sep) Maximum wait 125 days
Borders: 86.5% (Oct-Dec) 94.9% (July-Sep) Maximum wait 139 days
Dumfries and Galloway: 79.2% (Oct-Dec) 89% (July-Sep) Maximum wait 267 days
Fife: 73.3% (Oct-Dec) 74.9% (July-Sep) Maximum wait 254 days
Lothian: 79% (Oct-Dec) 77% (July-Sep) Maximum wait 341 days
Ayrshire and Arran: 78.9% (Oct-Dec) 80.8% (July-Sep) Maximum wait 170 days
Forth Valley: 76.2% (Oct-Dec) 69.2% (July-Sep) Maximum wait 154 days
Greater Glasgow and Clyde: 66% (Oct-Dec) 65.5% (July-Sep) Maximum wait 361 days
Lanarkshire: 81.2% (Oct-Dec) 77.7% (July-Sep) Maximum wait 137 days
