Cancer Research UK has responded to today’s cancer treatment waiting times statistics published by Public Health Scotland.
Chief executive of Cancer Research UK, Michelle Mitchell, said: “It’s unacceptable that people are waiting too long to start cancer treatment. It’s crucial that cancer is diagnosed early when treatment is more likely to be successful.
“Tackling these delays must be a priority for the incoming government, so that people get the timely diagnosis and treatment they deserve.
“NHS staff are working flat out to deliver services to patients and more needs to be done to support them.
“The solution lies in investing in the NHS workforce and cutting-edge equipment. It will also be essential to introduce innovations that will see more people diagnosed and treated sooner.”
ANALYSIS:
These latest figures show that, during the last quarter for which results are available, from Oct-Dec 2025, around 1,300 (27.4%) patients waited longer than 62 days to start treatment following an urgent suspected cancer referral.
The report shows that only 72.6% of patients on an urgent referral for a suspicion of cancer started treatment within 62 days during this quarter. This is well below the 95% target and is the tenth worst performance on record (since 2012).
More information on how Cancer Research UK believes waiting times can be tackled can be found in:
Longer better lives: a manifesto for cancer research and care in Scotland
The full Public Health Scotland report can be found here: