Johnstone describes waiting time figures for cancer patients as "very concerning"
Alison Johnstone MSP, Health spokesperson for the Scottish Greens, described today's waiting time figures for cancer patients as "very concerning".
Only 88.1 per cent of patients started treatment within 62 days between January and March this year, missing the Scottish Government target of 95 per cent.
Only two health boards - NHS Dumfries and Galloway and NHS Lanarkshire - met the target.
Alison said:
"Yet again, waiting time targets for cancer treatment have been missed. It is very concerning that performance against waiting time standards is particularly poor for some types of cancer, including cervical cancer and urological cancer, and it is shocking that only two NHS Boards are meeting the 62 day waiting time standard.
"Performance on these targets has steadily deteriorated since 2013. We clearly need stronger action to make treatment more accessible. Sadly, patients living in the most deprived areas of Scotland are more likely to be diagnosed with cancer at a later stage of illness, so support and investment should be targeted to tackle this inequality too."
Cancer Waiting Times in NHSScotland, January to March 2017 (ISD Scotland)