Labour health spokesperson Jackie Baillie and Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton.
By Bill Heaney
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has today said that “cancer patients deserve better” as new figures reveal that waiting times under the SNP Government are still among the worst on record.
And Labour’s Scottish Health spokesperson Jackie Baillie said “too many Scots are being failed in their hour of need”.
In the second quarter of 2025, only 69.9% of cancer patients started treatment within the 62-day standard treatment time. This is the third worst level since records began.
Separate figures show that there were 37,202 new cancers registered in 2023 – the largest number of new cancers diagnosed in a single year in Scotland.
Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “SNP ministers have never once met the cancer waiting times target in the thirteen years since it was introduced. Cancer patients deserve better than to be put on hold for life-saving treatment.
“More cancers are being diagnosed than ever before, but SNP ministers have failed at every juncture to meet the scale of the challenge.
“Scotland deserves a government that will move mountains for cancer patients. To boost survival rates, Scottish Liberal Democrats would bring down waiting times and launch a new national lung cancer screening programme capable of saving hundreds of lives a year, like the one already being rolled out in England. We would also enable US scientists to finish their cancer research here, instead of letting Trump cancel all their good work.”
Commenting on latest cancer waiting times statistics, which show the 62-day standard was missed again, and a cancer incidence report which shows the number of cancer cases is at a record high, Scottish Labour Health spokesperson Jackie Baillie said “Swift treatment can mean the difference between life and death for cancer patients, but it’s clear too many Scots are being failed in their hour of need.
“More than a decade has passed since the SNP last met its 62-day treatment target, with thousands of patients being let down in that time.
“Scotland is facing a cancer time-bomb with the number of cases at a record high, but under the SNP treatment is still not up to standard.
“We know the poorest communities are being hit hardest by the SNP’s failures on cancer care, even if the government refuses to publish the data.
“The founding principles of our NHS are under threat by this incompetent SNP government – we cannot risk a third decade of failure.
“A Scottish Labour government will renew our NHS so it can give people the swift, lifesaving cancer care they need.”
Cancer waiting times: 1 April to 30 June 2025:
The 62-day standard states that 95% of eligible patients should wait no longer than 62 days from urgent suspicion of cancer referral to first cancer treatment. Where the 62-day standard applied:
- There were 4,888 eligible referrals, an increase of 11.8% from the previous quarter, and an increase of 31.3% from the quarter ending 31 December 2019.
- 69.9% of patients started treatment within 62 days, compared with 68.9% in the previous quarter, and 83.7% in the quarter ending 31 December 2019.
- The 62-day standard was met by one of the 14 NHS Boards: NHS Lanarkshire (95.4%).
Cancer incidence in Scotland, 2023:
In 2023, there were 37,202 new cancers registered in Scotland (18,769 in males and 18,433 in females), an increase of 1% compared with 2022. This is in line with a long-term trend of increasing number of cancer diagnoses over time (33,008 cancer registrations in 2014) and is the largest recorded number of new cancers diagnosed in a year in Scotland.
Information on cancer incidence by SIMD was not included in this report despite being included in previous years.