Scottish Government

Cancer Waiting Times Statistics for January-March 2009

This publication includes the number of cancer patients urgently referred for each of the geographic health boards and the proportion of these treated within 62 days of referral, broken down by tumour site. Also included are 2008 waiting-times statistics for acute leukaemia, childhood cancers and diagonisis to treatment waiting times for breast cancer.

The main findings are:

• 96.0 per cent of reported urgently referred patients diagnosed with cancer in January-March 2009 began treatment within 62 days of their referral. In October-December 2008 95.4 per cent of reported urgently referred cancer patients began treatment within 62 days of referral. In January-March 2007 84.5 per cent of reported urgently referred cancer patients began treatment within 62 days of referral
• The cancer types with the highest and lowest proportions of patients starting treatment within 62 days of urgent referral were breast (98.9 per cent) and head and neck (89.3 per cent) respectively
• The mainland Health Boards with the highest and lowest proportions of patients starting treatment within 62 days of urgent referral were NHS Borders (98.1 per cent) and NHS Grampian (94.0 per cent) respectively
• In 2008 83.0 per cent of breast cancer patients began treatement within 31 days of their diagnosis compared with 83.2 per cent in 2007
• In 2008 98.7 per cent of urgently referred acute leukaemia patients began treatment within 31 days of their referral compared with 99.0 per cent in 2007
• In 2008 97.5 per cent of urgently referred cancer patients aged under 16 began treatment within 31 days of their referral compared with 100.0 per cent in 2007

List of Tables

Waiting-Times Statistics by Health Board of Diagnosis for Patients Diagnosed During January-March 2009 with:

Breast Cancer | Colorectal Cancer | Head and Neck Cancer | Lung Cancer | Lymphoma Cancer

Melanoma Cancer | Ovarian Cancer | Upper GI Cancers | Urological Cancers | All Cancers

Waiting-Times Statistics for Diagnosis to Treatment by Health Board of Diagnosis for Patients Diagnosed During 2008 with Breast Cancer

Waiting-Times Statistics for Urgent Referral to Treatment, Diagnosed During 2008:

for Patients with Acute Leukaemia by Health Board of Diagnosis | for Children with Cancer by Cancer Network of Diagnosis

Key Notes

Previously published statistics relating to time periods before January 2009 can be accessed at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/health/cancer/waiting-times.

Further information on Health and Community Care statistics within Scotland can be accessed at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/topics/statistics/browse/health.

Official statistics are produced by professionally independent statistical staff - more information on the standards of official statistics in Scotland can be accessed at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/About