In the Scotsman today, under the frontpage headline ‘Ministers warned of ‘ticking timebomb’ of cancer cases’, Miles Briggs (above) is allowed to present the fakest of fake news with a view to undermining the SNP:
Leaping over the opening statements to the ten year change figures which do show significant increases in cancer incidence over that decade, he ignores the fact that this has resulted from an aging population, living long enough to report, especially prostate cancer, and the first statement:
In 2024, there were 37,657 new cancers registered in Scotland (19,473 in males and 18,184 in females). This was similar to the previous year (179 fewer than in 2023).
How’s that for selective reporting? Cancer registrations went down.
However, more important are his claims regarding waiting times for treatment. Targets are not met in Scotland but then they are not met anywhere in the developed world. They are considered, by all including media, as aspirational and are not politicised in this way.
He started it so how do they compare with NHS England where his party was in charge for 14 years?
From Cancer waiting times 1 January to 31 March 2026:
There were 4,668 eligible referrals where the 62-day standard applied, a decrease of 2.7% from the previous quarter, but an increase of 25.4% from the quarter ending 31 December 2019, the last full quarter pre‑pandemic. 72.2% of patients started treatment within 62 days, compared with 72.6% in the previous quarter.
There were 7,225 eligible referrals where the 31-day standard applied, a decrease of 2.0% from the previous quarter, but an increase of 13.1% from the quarter ending 31 December 2019. 94.5% of patients started treatment within 31 days, compared with 95.6% in the previous quarter, and 96.5% in the quarter ending 31 December 2019.
Before we go any further, see a big news story there being total ignored? There were 25.4% more referred under the 62-day standard and 13.1% more referred under the 31-day standard than had been in the days before the pandemic at the end of 2019. Performance at the end of 2019 had been 83.7% and 96.5%. They had 25% and 13% fewer patients and yet did not perform, I’d guess, 25% and 13% better.
NHS England does not publish quarterly data for comparison but does provide annual figures:
For NHS England:
62-day Combined Standard – 12-month average for 2025: 69.4% .
31-day Combined Standard 12-month average for 2025: 91.8%.
NHS Scotland annual data can be produced from the supplementary file table and from them we get for 2025, 70.5% and 95% respectively.
Analysis
BBC Scotland and many ornery Joes will say there is little difference there but even the 1.1 difference for the 62-day target is 1% of the around 20 000 who were referred – 200 people who were treated on time who would not have been had they lived in England.
As for the 31-day target, that 3.2% is of around 30 000 referred or 10 000 who were treated on time who would not have been had they lived in England.
Sources:
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Tories cut NHS for over ten years. Did not increase it. Until Covid.Covid funded £270Billion over two years. Much of it was wasted. Tory fraud. Boris Johnston lies. Thousands died. Instead of cancer deaths. People died of Covid.
People living longer more people will have cancer. Better Gov funding healthcare.
A change in lifestyle led by government policies would lower cancer deaths. Alcohol. Smoking, bad diet, processed foods. Lower exercise.
Better food choices, exercise, better weather lower cancer rates. Better governance can change policies.
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Nowt we can about the weather 😦
But yes the things you point out are important, but have you noticed how the rich, and even just the better off folk tend to live longer than the poor? Good diet, plenty champers, warm large habitable hooses, no hard grafting, no money worries = no stress, no landlord knocking on their door to evict them, plenty holidays, etc. Near where we are the older folks, white collar workers, bought their large flats/houses for a few £k, many years ago, (£7-10k) now worth nigh on £500k to £millions.
Anyway, eat vegetarian, drink lemon water, eat plenty garlic, green organic veg if you can afford it, get plenty sleep, ha ha, LOL!
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While busy condemning his own country’s NHS efforts ( how patriotic – NOT !) to fight cancer, Miles Briggs avoids mentioning one of the main causes of cancers in Scotland -our exposure to the many nuclear sites dumped on us by the UK .
From nuclear power stations , nuclear arsenals , rotting nuclear hulks etc…
Any Unionist has a brass neck to complain about health issues in Scotland when we are surrounded by the malignant and toxic by-products of Westminster Governments who don’t give a flying f*ck for the Scottish people .
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