Lothian MSP and Co-chair of the Cancer Cross Party Group at the Scottish Parliament, Miles Briggs, has warned about the drop in urgent cancer referrals over the last six months in NHS Lothian.
Public Health Scotland figures released this week showed that over the last two quarters (ending June 20 and September 20) 484 and 463, 947 total, were urgently referred for and received a cancer treatment.
This compares to the same six months last year (ending June 19 and September 19) when 591 and 616, 1207 total, patients were urgently referred for and received a cancer treatment.
This is equivalent to 21.5%, or just over a fifth, fewer patients being urgently referred and receiving treatment for cancer in NHS Lothian.
Co-chair of the Cancer Cross Party Group at the Scottish Parliament, Miles Briggs, said:
“This is extremely concerning that there has been such a drop in patients being urgently referred to cancer patients in the last six months.
“Early detection and treatment of cancer is the best way to improve survival rates for cancer and these figures show fewer people are having cancer detected and treated.
“The focus of our National Health Service has been on Covid-19, but people are still going to get ill and it is vital that access to cancer services is available for everyone.”
ENDs…
Table with eligible referrals attached, tab 4e.
NHS Lothian – Eligible referrals
| 62 day standard from receipt of an urgent referral with suspicion of cancer to first treatment | ||||||||
| Dec-18 | Mar-19 | Jun-19 | Sep-19 | Dec-19 | Mar-20 | Jun-20 | Sep-20 | |
| All Cancer Types* | 579 | 529 | 591 | 616 | 601 | 605 | 484 | 463 |
| All Cancer Types* (screened excluded) | 447 | 414 | 443 | 489 | 447 | 455 | 416 | 449 |
| All Cancer Types* (screened only) | 132 | 115 | 148 | 127 | 154 | 150 | 68 | 14 |
| Breast | 201 | 169 | 195 | 173 | 202 | 197 | 132 | 110 |
| Breast (screened excluded) | 92 | 78 | 71 | 67 | 83 | 79 | 76 | 103 |
| Breast (screened only) | 109 | 91 | 124 | 106 | 119 | 118 | 56 | 7 |
| Cervical | 7 | 8 | 6 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Cervical (screened excluded) | 4 | 5 | 4 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| Cervical (screened only) | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | – | 1 | 1 |
| Colorectal | 72 | 71 | 79 | 85 | 91 | 103 | 83 | 68 |
| Colorectal (screened excluded) | 52 | 50 | 57 | 65 | 57 | 71 | 72 | 62 |
| Colorectal (screened only) | 20 | 21 | 22 | 20 | 34 | 32 | 11 | 6 |
| Head & Neck | 29 | 30 | 23 | 34 | 24 | 27 | 24 | 32 |
| Lung | 65 | 41 | 57 | 62 | 58 | 54 | 41 | 49 |
| Lymphoma | 17 | 14 | 8 | 15 | 12 | 5 | 13 | 17 |
| Melanoma | 17 | 22 | 43 | 65 | 40 | 22 | 13 | 22 |
| Ovarian | 4 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 10 |
| Upper GI | 60 | 54 | 64 | 62 | 62 | 80 | 63 | 64 |
| Urological | 107 | 113 | 106 | 101 | 100 | 108 | 100 | 86 |
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