Thousands of people in Scotland are waiting too long to be diagnosed and start cancer treatment

Responding to the latest NHS Scotland Cancer Waiting Times figures, Kate Seymour, Head of Advocacy at Macmillan Cancer Support, said:

“The number of people in Scotland waiting longer than the Scottish government’s target of two months to be diagnosed and treated for cancer has grown once again. This is not good enough. Today’s figures are showing little sign of improvement with thousands of people waiting too long to be diagnosed and start cancer treatment.

“Finance Secretary, Shona Robison, committed to reducing waiting times and reforming Scotland’s health service in the budget earlier this month but what really matters for people living with cancer is the delivery of these promises and the urgent change needed to transform cancer care.

“Targets for cancer waiting times have been missed for well over a decade (12 years). With further anticipated pressures on the NHS this winter, let’s remember, behind the figures are real people who will spend Christmas worrying about whether they might have cancer or when their treatment is going to start, and what 2025 will bring for them and their loved ones.”

• Macmillan’s analysis of today’s official NHS data confirms that so far this year, over 3,600 people with cancer in Scotland waited more than two months to start treatment following an urgent referral[i].

• Between July and September of this year, performance against both cancer waiting times targets dropped compared with the previous three months, showing that NHS cancer services in Scotland are still struggling under intense pressures[ii].

• Other recent data from Macmillan shows that concerns about long waits and delays have hit new highs among people with cancer in the UK. Two in three people currently having cancer treatment in the UK (66%) are worried about general pressures on the NHS affecting their chances of survival[iii], the highest level since Macmillan started tracking this issue in November 2022, and an increase from 59% in January this year during peak winter pressures for the NHS[iv].

• Today’s NHS data shows that in July to September 2024, over 300 people newly diagnosed with cancer in Scotland waited more than a month to start treatment following the clinical decision to do so, and over 1,200 waited more than two months to start treatment following their initial urgent referral for suspected cancer[v].

• For some cancer types, performance remains particularly concerning. For example, from July to September fewer than half of people with urological cancer (45%) and just half of women with cervical cancer (50%) started treatment within two months of an urgent referral for suspected cancer[vi].

• Previous Macmillan analysis showed 2023 was the worst year on record for cancer waiting times in Scotland. In 2023 almost 1,500 people with cancer in Scotland waited more than a month to start treatment following the clinical decision to do so, and just over 5,000 waited more than two months to start treatment following an urgent referral for suspected cancer[vii].

• [i]Public Health Scotland. Cancer waiting times. Between January and September 2024 inclusive, 3,677 people started first treatment more than 62 days after an urgent referral for suspected cancer via a GP, dentist, screening or a direct hospital referral

• [ii] Public Health Scotland. Cancer waiting times — 1 October to 30 September 2024. Accessed December 2024 [iii] Macmillan Cancer Support/YouGov survey of 2,078 adults in the UK who have had a cancer diagnosis, including 215 people going through treatment. Fieldwork was undertaken between 11th and 30th June 2024. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of people living with cancer in the UK (aged 18+). Survey question was as follows: How worried, if at all, are you about the following? ‘General pressures on the NHS affecting my chances of survival’

• [iv] Macmillan Cancer Support/YouGov survey of 2,099 adults in the UK who have had a cancer diagnosis, including 213 people going through treatment. Fieldwork was undertaken between 2nd and 22nd January 2024. All other details as per ref 

• [v] As per ref 1. In July to September 2024, 388 people waited more than 31 days to start treatment following the clinical decision to do so for a newly diagnosed primary cancer, and 1,214 waited more than 62 days to start treatment following an urgent referral for suspected cancer
• [vi] As per ref 1 and 6

• [vii] Public Health Scotland. Cancer waiting times — 1 October to 31 December 2023. Accessed March 2024. In 2023, the average annual performance against the national 31-day target was 94.6%, compared with 95.0% in 2022. The average annual performance against the national 62-day target was 71.6%, compared with 74.9% in 2022. A total of 1,499 people waited more than 31 days to start treatment following the clinical decision to do so, and 5,009 waited more than 62 days to start treatment following an urgent referral for suspected cancer. ‘Worst year on record’ based on published data going back to 2012