Humza Yousaf shamed as cancer patient waits 13 MONTHS for treatment under his watch

Humza Yousaf’s failures as health minister have been laid bare after it emerged a cancer patient was forced to wait 13 MONTHS for treatment under his watch. The First Minister was responsible for Scotland’s NHS from May 2021 until March this year when he made Michael Matheson his replacement.

But new figures show that in the year 2021/22, a patient with colorectal cancer waited 397 days to be treated against the 62-day standard. Waits of more than 100 days were recorded for patients with breast, cervical, head and neck, lung, lymphoma, melanoma and ovarian cancer in the same period.

Some prostate cancer patients were waiting up to 289 days in 2018/19 against the 62-day standard. Scotland is currently without a cancer plan after the latest one expired in March 2023.

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The figures were obtained by Scottish Labour whose health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie called for a new plan to be delivered as “a matter of urgency”. Ms Baillie said: “Whilst Scotland waits on yet another cancer plan being unveiled, we have the grotesque and horrifying fact that people are languishing on cancer waiting lists for well over a year.

“This is a national scandal. Cancer remains Scotland’s biggest killer but the SNP has failed time and time again to produce a cancer plan that is capable of helping our hardworking clinicians and our NHS tackle the cancer crisis.

“Michael Matheson has a chance to draw a line under the failures and missed opportunities of former SNP health ministers. That’s why today I am sending a direct message to Michael Matheson – end the neglect of cancer care, bolster our NHS and act to save lives now.”