Patients are waiting up to two years to start cancer treatment in Scotland’s NHS, according to the Scottish Conservatives.
At First Minister’s Questions, Douglas Ross revealed evidence from a Freedom of Information response showing that one patient had waited 721 days to start cancer treatment.
The Scottish Conservative leader also raised concerns from frontline doctors that people in poorer communities could soon receive “second-rate healthcare” in Scotland’s NHS.
Dr Andrew Buist of BMA Scotland said earlier this week: “My real fear is we are at a tipping point and what we are going to see is areas of Scotland that are under-doctored. And that is more likely to happen in areas of higher deprivation, and the care of these patients is going to suffer.”
Nicola Sturgeon was also challenged over health statistics published this week that showed delayed discharges and accident and emergency waiting times were both at the worst levels on record.
The latest figures revealed that almost two-thirds of patients attending accident and emergency at Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital were not seen within the target time.
In just one week, more than 1,000 people at the Queen Elizabeth alone were not treated within four hours. Across Scotland, the number of people waiting beyond the target time was over 9,500.
The number of beds occupied because of delayed discharge is also at its worst-ever level. In the most recent month of data, 1,900 beds every single day were taken up at Scotland’s hospitals by patients who were medically cleared to leave.
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said: “Nicola Sturgeon must take action to prevent people waiting hours on end at emergency departments over Christmas.
“Long-term SNP failures are really hurting Scotland’s NHS. If the SNP Government had kept its promise to end delayed discharge, we would have 1,900 more beds in Scotland’s NHS to treat patients right now.
“It’s completely unacceptable that people in poorer communities could receive second-rate healthcare, according to frontline doctors. Nicola Sturgeon must rule that out immediately.
“A&E waiting times are at their worst-ever level, more beds are taken up by delayed discharges than ever before, and doctors are raising fears that some areas of Scotland may end up ‘under-doctored’.
“More must be done to tackle the crisis in Scotland’s NHS. As it stands, people across Scotland are not receiving the healthcare they deserve.
“For cancer patients, the situation can be life or death. Lives are at risk when people are facing appalling waits of up to two years just to start cancer treatment.
“Nicola Sturgeon’s actions are not good enough. Scotland’s NHS needs solutions to this crisis, not just words.”