A leading cancer charity has slammed NHS Tayside after it missed both cancer waiting times targets.
Only 92.6% of patients suspected of having cancer were seen within the 62 days demanded by the Scottish Government during the first quarter of 2016.
Only 91.7% of patients began treatment within the expected 31-day timeframe.
The current target is for 95% of patients to be seen or treated within the target times.
Elspeth Atkinson, director of Macmillan in Scotland, said: “We are extremely disappointed that both cancer waiting times targets have now been missed.
“Every additional day waiting for tests or results is another day of stress for people with cancer and their families, and long delays can also impact on survival rates.”
The Scottish Government has said its £100 million cancer strategy will improve access to cancer care.
Gavin Main, associate medical director with NHS Tayside, said the health board is striving to meet the targets.
He said: “NHS Tayside, for the first quarter of 2016, performed slightly higher at 92.6% than the Scottish average of 90.2% for the 62-day cancer waiting time.
“NHS Tayside achieved 91.7% against a Scottish average of 94.7% for the 31-day target.
“Delivering waiting time targets is challenging month-on-month as some patients require a series of major investigations to ensure correct treatment. This can, understandably, take some time.
“Our cancer teams work extremely hard ensuring every patient is tracked through each stage of their journey. By doing this, we can intervene or escalate cases immediately if there appears to be any delay in treatment.
“We recognise that any cancer diagnosis is worrying for patients and their families and that is why we will never be complacent and continue to strive for improved service.”
