People who are referred for cancer treatment as a matter of urgency are waiting longer for care, new figures have revealed.

Two targets introduced by the Scottish Government to ensure cancer patients could begin treatment as quickly as possible were missed in the last quarter, with the long-term trend getting significantly poorer.

Just 87.1 per cent of those with a suspicion of cancer were seen within the standard two-month timeframe between July and September.

And for those signed off for treatment, only 94.3 per cent began the process within the guaranteed 31-day limit.

In some parts of Scotland, one in 10 had to wait longer.

Shadow health secretary Donald Cameron said the declining performance was yet another indictment of the SNP’s mismanagement of the health service.

Scottish Conservative shadow health secretary Donald Cameron said:

“Everyone knows the quicker a cancer patient begins treatment, the better their chances of recovery.

“So the SNP has to explain why on earth it is taking longer and longer for these vulnerable people to be seen to.

“Under the nationalists, the NHS continues to go downhill at an alarming rate.

“GPs are under more strain than ever, staff sickness rates are too high, wards are crammed full and bed-blocking shows no sign of improving.

“Now we learn that it’s taking even longer for people urgently referred for cancer care to be given the treatment they need.

“That’s an appalling statistic, and one the SNP should be utterly ashamed of.”