An outside contractor has been parachuted in to reduce huge waiting times for cancer checks in Tayside.
The Endoscopy Service is experiencing “extended waits” of approximately 16 weeks for a routine appointment with a specialist, which NHS Tayside chiefs have admitted is “excessive” and “distressing”.
The Scottish treatment time guarantee is six weeks.
The health board is still working on appointments made in September – employing an outside contractor to help catch up.
Montrose resident Alexander (Ernest) Moncur is among those still waiting to be seen for an appointment, which is now carried out at Stracathro Hospital near Brechin.
Mr Moncur, 77, was referred in October after going for a check-up in Montrose after suffering from stomach pains.
He has a history of bowel cancer in the family after his brother died from the disease in 1993.
“We are urged to go to the doctor if we think something is wrong,” he said.
“I was given an urgent referral for an appointment in October and I’m still waiting to see a specialist.
“My brother went to the doctor with the same issue but ultimately it was too late and he died of bowel cancer in 1993.
“The waiting times being imposed on referrals for a colonoscopy is not acceptable in a modern society.
“It is an absolute nonsense.”
North East region Scottish Conservative MSP Bill Bowman described the waiting list as “inexcusable”.
He said: “The national standard is for results to come back in six weeks for these key tests, which are potentially life-saving in themselves.
“For Mr Moncur to wait at least 16 weeks to just be checked is inexcusable.
“I accept the board have taken this issue very seriously.
“But I want assurances this ‘multi-factorial’ reason against performing routine appointments will be resolved quickly.”
Mr Bowman said regrets “mean little when lives are at stake”.
The letter from NHS Tayside’s three clinical group leads – James Cotton, Susan Bean and Meg Park – told Mr Moncur they recognised the wait was “excessive”.
NHS Tayside began work with an external provider in early October 2019 to deliver additional clinics in an effort to support the service to reduce the current queue.
An NHS Tayside spokeswoman said: “Colonoscopy waiting times are longer than we would want and we understand that this is distressing for patients and their families.
“The public should be assured that the most clinically urgent patients are prioritised such as those referred with urgent suspected cancer and these patients are seen in less than four weeks.
“NHS Tayside is working to improve waiting times and increase capacity within the service.
“As with other boards in Scotland, we are facing recruitment challenges however we are continuing to actively recruit to fill vacancies within the service.
“In the interim, to increase capacity and help reduce patient waiting times, 400 colonoscopy procedures are being provided by the independent sector from our endoscopy suites in Perth Royal Infirmary and at Ninewells.”
Under the 18 weeks standard, health boards must ensure that the result of any test or investigation is available within six weeks of receiving the request.
