The UK’s largest cancer research charity says the Scottish government must move urgently to create a safe clinical environment for cancer treatment to resume.

Cancer Research UK is calling for government to publish plans to restart services, warning that suspected cases are ‘stacking up’.

The charity warns that patient survival is dependant on an expansion of testing to healthcare professionals and patients “to maximise the likelihood of a safe clinical environment” so cancer treatments can be resumed as quickly as possible.

It comes after announcements made today on expanding covid-19 testing capacity in Scotland’s care homes.

Last week one of the UK’s leading surgeons called for the NHS in Scotland to have a plan to deal with the “huge” backlog of cancelled operations that have built up during the covid-19 crisis, including patients requiring surgery.

Meanwhile, NHS England has instructed trusts to reopen services over the next six weeks as the pressure exerted by covid-19 is expected to ease.

CRUK’s head of external affairs Marion O’Neill said: “We appreciate the difficult decisions that need to be taken to protect public health from coronavirus, including the suspension of cancer screening programmes and other NHS procedures.

“But with around 34,000 people a year in Scotland diagnosed with cancer each year, it’s clear that cancer diagnosis and treatment must continue.”

Although some cancer patients are being sent to private hospitals for treatment, Ms O’Neil warns that the continued suspension of screening programmes – including breast, bowel and cervical screening – is leaving unseen cases “stacking up”.

“We need plans soon to urgently address how an already struggling NHS system will get through these as swiftly as possible.

“The expansion of testing in Scotland announced by the First Minister is welcome but it doesn’t go far enough in that the impact of Covid-19 on the stalling of cancer services has not yet been addressed.

“If cancer services are to resume, introducing a widespread covid-19 testing programme for patients and healthcare staff to maximise the likelihood of a safe clinical environment, will be crucial. A rapid response to this is required – patient survival depends on it.”

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