A cancer patient had to wait nearly a year to begin treatment.
And nearly one in five of cancer patients in Dumfries and Galloway weren’t able to start treatment within two months.
The latest figures from Public Health Scotland showed all of the country’s health boards, including NHS Dumfries and Galloway, failed to meet a Scottish Government target for 95 per cent of patients to start receiving treatment within 62 days of being referred with an urgent suspicion of cancer.
South Scotland Labour MSP, Colin Smyth, said the figures should be a “red alert” for the Scottish Government.
He added: “Cancer remains Scotland’s biggest killer – but it is clear that thousands of my constituents are waiting an unacceptably long time to be treated. We know what this means – poorer patient outcomes.
“NHS staff are working tirelessly but are being failed by this government and its inadequate cancer plan.
“Health Secretary Michael Matheson has inherited an almighty mess from Humza Yousaf – but we cannot wait any longer to see improvements.”
The new figures show that between January and March this year, 4,220 patients were referred for cancer treatment with an urgent suspicion of having the condition, with 69.4 per cent treated within 62 days.
In Dumfries and Galloway, 119 patients were referred, with 96 – 80.7 per cent – seen within the 62 day time frame. The previous quarter, 83.5 per cent of patients were seen within 62 days.
In one case a person waited 334 days for treatment to begin – the longest wait in Scotland.
An NHS Dumfries and Galloway spokesman said: “The Scottish Government also has a target for 95 per cent of patients to start receiving help within 31 days of a decision being made to treat them.
“NHS Dumfries and Galloway was one of seven health boards to meet that target, with 98.8 per cent of patients seen within the time frame. Nationally, the figure was 94.1 per cent.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “NHS Scotland remains under pressure and this is reflected in the fact that we’re treating more patients on 62 and 31-day pathways than before the Covid-19 pandemic.
“There has been almost 800 additional cancer patients treated this quarter alone, compared to the same time pre-pandemic. Cancer remains a national priority, within the Scottish Government and across NHS Scotland, with urgent suspicion of cancer referrals continuing to be
prioritised.
