Investment announced for cancer services in Scotland

A planned investment of up to £114.5 million will ensure cancer patients continue to have equitable access to care in NHS Scotland regardless of where they live.

The Cancer Recovery Plan will improve patients’ experience of care, and will roll-out innovative treatments – many of which have been expedited by the pandemic -  to improve cancer services.

The Scottish Government says that a total of 68 actions will be driven forward across five themes to both redesign cancer services and increase NHS Scotland’s overall resilience to any future rises in coronavirus prevalence.

The actions will be rolled out before March 2023 and will include: two new Early Cancer Diagnostic Centres, established within the existing NHS infrastructure by Spring 2021; a programme of ‘Prehabilitation’ helping patients prepare for treatment; a single point of contact for cancer patients to support them throughout their diagnosis and treatment; and a resource dedicated to the national oversight of clinical management guidelines.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “Patients are at the heart of this plan and their safety and that of our NHS staff will continue to be our priority. I would like to thank healthcare staff, the Scottish Cancer Coalition and other partners for their contributions to the plan and their continued help in supporting cancer patients.

“Throughout the pandemic NHS Scotland has remained open, continuing to provide emergency and urgent cancer care , as well as maintaining Covid-19 capacity and resilience.

“Many innovative approaches adopted during the Covid-19 response will be maintained as part of the Cancer Recovery Plan, including the use of video technology, national  approaches to prioritisation, innovative diagnostic techniques, timely triaging, and quicker decision making in regards to new treatment options. The Plan will continue the momentum of these approaches to service improvement and re-design, ensuring cancer patients have access to the best available treatment and care across Scotland.”

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This story was first published in digitalhealth.net

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