South Scotland MSP Brian Whittle has described figures showing more people are waiting for crucial cancer diagnostic tests in NHS Ayrshire & Arran as “seriously concerning”.
The figures, published by Public Health Scotland, show that across Scotland over 140,000 patients are waiting to receive one of eight key diagnostic tests. The waiting list has grown dramatically during the pandemic with over 50,000 more people waiting now than in February 2020, before Covid struck.
The figures also suggest the situation is still worsening, with waiting numbers rising by 12.5% in the last quarter alone.
In Ayrshire & Arran, 10,934 patients were waiting to be seen at the end of last year. That’s an increase of 42% since February 2020 and a 6% increase since September last year.
Brian says the numbers are a worrying indication of the mountain the NHS has to climb to clear the backlog caused by Covid. With early diagnosis a major factor in treatment outcomes, Brian believes the Scottish Government need to act with more urgency to protect patients.
Brian Whittle MSP said:
“These figures show the scale of the challenge ahead for the NHS as it tries to recover from the effects of the pandemic.
It’s seriously concerning that so many people are stuck on waiting lists for these important tests and that the numbers are continuing to rise.
Longer waits prolong uncertainty for patients, and potentially lead to delays in treatment that can affect how well someone recovers.
Simply returning NHS services to where they were before the pandemic, won’t clear this backlog quickly enough, but there’s little sign that the Scottish Government appreciate what’s required.
The Health Secretary needs to act urgently and explain how the SNP propose to get these waiting figures down as quickly as possible.”
