Fears over cancer strategy delay

A NEW cancer strategy for Scotland is more than six months late, The Sunday Post can reveal.

The plan for how the health service will help people battle the killer disease had been expected at the start of this year.

But it is understood a draft of the strategy circulated among doctors and charities wasn’t up to scratch and officials were sent back to the drawing board.

The pressure on SNP ministers was increased last month when the NHS in England launched its new cancer strategy with the promise that a “radical” shake-up in prevention work and the upgrading of old equipment could save 30,000 lives a year.

Scottish Labour’s health spokeswoman Jenny Marra said: “Scotland should not have to wait any longer for the new cancer plan.

“Now that England seems to be forging ahead with its refreshed cancer plan, the Scottish Government should guarantee a date for release of this plan to give patients confidence that they are on track with cancer planning in the NHS, lest we be left behind.”

The current Better Cancer Care plan was launched by Nicola Sturgeon, then Health Secretary, in 2008 and set out actions to improve the prevention and detection of cancers as well as the promise of a 31-day referral to first treatment target.

This is now being met by all NHS boards but campaigners have been pushing for a new strategy which is hoped will drive waiting times down and the number of successful treatments up.

A crunch meeting of the Scottish Government-led cancer taskforce was postponed in June but the group will meet again next week where an update on the strategy’s progress will be demanded.

Macmillan’s director in Scotland, Elspeth Atkinson, said: “The Scottish Government has been working on the cancer plan for some time and we look forward to seeing it as soon as possible.

“It is vitally important for people with cancer that there is a clear vision for cancer care in Scotland.”

Last October, The Sunday Post revealed that every cancer patient in Scotland was to be asked to rate their care in a nationwide survey bringing the NHS north of the Border in step with England.

The move was a victory for our Fighting Chance campaign, which called for more consistent treatment for cancer patients across the country and faster diagnosis from GPs.

At the time officials said the survey would get under way in 2015 and last night revealed it will be “up and running by the end of the year”.

Labour’s Miss Marra added: “Every other part of the UK is well down the road with their surveys and the English cancer plan will have taken on this evidence from patients. This survey tells us how patients feel about their cancer treatment and recovery journey.

“Given the delay in Scotland, it is very unlikely that any patients’ experience will be published before the Scottish Parliament election in May, which seems ominous.”

Health Secretary Shona Robison said: “This Government is absolutely committed to supporting people with cancer and ensuring we provide the best treatment possible.

“To develop our plan we need to work with stakeholders to ensure that real improvements are made to services, based on the best evidence available. That is exactly what we are doing, and will have a full and detailed discussion on the issue at the next Scottish Cancer Taskforce meeting which is this week.”