Scottish Conservative and Unionist MSP Rachael Hamilton for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire has warned of a “ticking timebomb” when it comes to crucial cancer diagnostic tests in the Borders.
Mrs Hamilton was reacting to new statistics from Public Health Scotland showing that over 140,000 patients across Scotland are now waiting to be seen for eight key diagnostic tests.
The numbers have spiralled during the pandemic and are now over 50,000 higher than they were at the end of February 2020, before Covid struck.
The figures also represent a 12.5% increase on the last quarter, when more than 125,000 patients were waiting.
In the Borders, 1,469 patients have been waiting to be seen since the end of last year - an 8% increase in the last two years.
The number of patients waiting to be seen has also risen by 2% since September last year.
Mrs Hamilton described the latest figures as deeply concerning, and that they are creating a dangerous bottleneck in the NHS where patients are not being seen quickly enough.
She went on to say that delays for diagnostic tests only add to the suffering of patients with underlying health problems.
Rachael Hamilton MSP said:
“These figures are extremely worrying.
“The backlog of tests that has grown during the pandemic in the Borders risks spiralling out of control. It is only a matter of time before this ticking time bomb leads to serious consequences.
“Patients are not being treated anywhere near quickly enough in the Borders and cancers are at real risk of going undetected. Staff are continuing to work flat out, but the Scottish Government are letting them down with a lack of support.
“We cannot continue to see inaction from SNP Health Secretary Humza Yousaf. He must urgently outline how he plans to tackle this ever-increasing backlog in the Borders and ensure patients are seen within target waiting times.”
