INCREASES IN treatment at Tayside hospitals and reductions in waiting times for patients were described yesterday as “quite spectacular, writes Marjory Inglis, health reporter.

Gerry Marr, NHS Tayside’s chief operating officer, was clearly delighted with the performance of staff.

One of the most spectacular improvements in service can be seen in waiting times for body scans, crucial in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and other serious illnesses. These have been slashed in Tayside over the last five years.

At the same time there has been a phenomenal increase in the demand for CT and MRI scans, a review of performance by the local NHS reveals.

Last year there were nearly 20,000 CT scans carried out, 56% from five years ago.

Last year more than 11,000 MRI scans were carried out—48% more than five years ago when there were people waiting up to 40 weeks for a scan. Last year the maximum wait was nine weeks.

“We’ve done it by investing in equipment and redesigning the services,” said Mr Marr.

The improvement in access and waiting times for scans is one of the highlights in a long list of increases in patient activity and improvements in waiting times over the last five years.

Patients are being kept in hospital for shorter spells but increasing numbers are being sent to out-patient clinics and admitted for treatment.

Advances in treatment and drug developments mean that more can be done for patients, so many more people are being offered help that previously was simply not available.

“People now describe some cancers as long-term conditions, not self-limiting illnesses,” said Mr Marr.

What he means by that is that significant numbers of patients are living with cancer who would have died in the not too distant past. However, survival requires what is often complex and expensive treatment over lengthy periods of time.

Health chiefs recently drew up their plans for the next five years, knowing that there would be testing times ahead if they are to balance the books and continue to meet demands on services.

Over the next five years overall spending in NHS Tayside will be around £4.5 billion, with spending on the day-to-day running costs set to rise from around £800 million in the current year to around £900 million in five years.

The actual figures are rising but so are the cost of wages and drugs and the extra cash will do little more than keep pace with inflation.

In the current year NHS Tayside will spent £2.2 million a day on health services—more than £1 million of that will go on staff wages and salaries.

Over the next five years the health authority is planning a capital investment of around £300 million in new buildings and equipment.

Ambitious medical teams could always spend more.

The challenge over the next five years will be to maintain the momentum of improvements and service developments seen over the last five years, while keeping within the budget.