MSP JOAN MCALPINE PRAISES DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY CANCER WAITING TIMES
South of Scotland MSP Joan McAlpine has welcomed statistics published last week showing that Dumfries and Galloway Health Board is out-performing most areas across Scotland on cancer waiting times.
The latest statistics show that for the period April to June 2013 97.7% of patients across the country started treatment within 31 days of the decision to treat.
In NHS Dumfries and Galloway this figure is 99.3%, the highest figure of the mainland Health Boards.
Commenting, the SNP MSP said:
“It is great to see Dumfries and Galloway performing so well in meeting cancer waiting times.
“Treating cancer is one of the Scottish Government’s top priorities. Cancer survival rates across Scotland are improving all the time thanks to earlier diagnosis, advances in treatments and investment in staff and equipment; all this against a backdrop of more Scots being diagnosed through early screening programmes.”
She added:
“There is of course absolutely no room for complacency; even though the Scottish Government has reduced waiting times to record low levels there is always more to be done.
“That is why the Scottish Government is investing £30 million over three years in the Detect Cancer Early programme to help improve survival rates and ensure that patients requiring urgent treatment have swift access to the full range of services they need.”
