NHS TAYSIDE has once again met a longstanding target for treating cancer patients.

The figures showed 95.3% of cancer sufferers urgently referred to the board between April and June this year were treated within two months, exceeding the Scottish Government’s target of 95%.

All head and neck, ovarian and urological cases were treated on time and only the treatment of lymphoma showed a large dip below the required rate at 85.7%.

A spokeswoman for NHS Tayside said, “We are delighted to have achieved the cancer waiting list times target and are constantly improving our services to ensure that patients across Tayside receive the best possible treatment and care.”

Meanwhile, NHS Fife has made encouraging progress towards cutting waiting times.

More than nine out of 10 patients—or 91.7% of the 180 people diagnosed with cancer in the region— are being treated within 62 days of urgent referral.

The figures for the three months from April to June this year are marginally below the overall Scottish average of 93.5% but are above the total for the same time last year when 87.3% were treated within three months.

NHS Fife said targets are being exceeded for some cancers and everyone diagnosed with breast or colorectal cancer or lymphoma was treated within 62 days in Fife.

Thirty-two people were diagnosed for breast cancer, 18 with colorectal and 12 with lymphoma between April and June.

Of the seven people diagnosed with head or neck cancer however, only five—or 71.4%—were treated within the target time.

Ninety-three-and-a-half percent of those with lung cancer were treated in 62 days, along with 83.3% of whose with melanoma, 87.5% of women with ovarian cancer, 87.5% of people with upper GI cancer, and 81.5% of those suffering from urological cancer.

A spokeswoman for NHS Fife said, “The overall performance of NHS Fife over the last year in delivering the 62-day cancer patient referral to treatment target shows improvement but there is still more to do.

“More than nine out of 10 patients are treated within the target.”

Across Scotland there was an overall improvement in performance recorded.

In total 93.5% of urgently referred patients diagnosed with cancer began their treatment within 62 days of initial referral.