There was a "worrying drop" in the percentage of Borders patients starting cancer treatment within the target time in the last quarter, new statistics from Public Health Scotland show.
The proportion of patients starting treatment within 62 days of receiving an urgent referral with suspicion of cancer dropped more than 8 percentage points between quarters three and four of 2023 in NHS Borders.
This worrying drop must be addressed quickly by NHS Borders and the SNP Government.
Our excellent local NHS staff do a tremendous job of helping people suffering from cancer but it's clear they don't have the resources to treat every patient as fast as they would like to.
NHS Borders was very close to meeting the Scotland-wide target in the previous quarter, however, there has since been a substantial fall in the percentage of patients starting treatment on time.
Humza Yousaf must step in with extra funding to prevent any further delays to cancer treatment for patients in need of urgent care. This troubling situation cannot be allowed to spiral any further.
