Improvement work is beneath manner amid a report that remedy for ovarian most cancers in Scotland is a “postcode lottery” and has left some ladies with no possibility however to pay for personal healthcare.
MSP Carol Mochan mentioned she was “dismayed” to learn a newspaper’s report of a “two-tiered health system, where the wealthy can afford treatment and even those on average incomes have little choice but to spend most of their savings on surgery to keep them alive”.
During topical questions on the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday, Ms Mochan added: “If you are poor, it seems your [option is to hope] you can get surgery on the NHS before it is too late.”
Jenni Minto, minister for public well being and ladies’s well being, mentioned regional most cancers networks have undertaken enchancment work to scale back ovarian most cancers surgical procedure waits.
She added: “The Scottish authorities continues to watch these actions and help progress in bettering general take care of ovarian most cancers sufferers.
“The NHS continue to prioritise cancer care and where there is an urgent suspicion of cancer, they make every effort to ensure a patient is seen quickly – with median waiting times to treatment for those on our urgent pathways being four days.”
Ovarian most cancers is named a “silent killer” as it’s usually detected as soon as it has superior and unfold, making remedy tougher.
Treatment will normally contain a mix of surgical procedure and chemotherapy.
The Sunday Post report claimed that ladies in northern and jap Scotland are in a position to entry remedy and surgical procedure shortly, whereas these within the west face delays until they’ll pay for their very own.
One lady from Ayr opted for personal surgical procedure as she didn’t need to play “Russian roulette” together with her life.
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The issues come two years after the launch of Scotland’s flagship Women’s Health Plan to assist deal with well being inequality.
Ms Mochan, Scottish Labour MSP for South Scotland, said: “There has rarely been a time since the foundation of the NHS where it has been so dangerous to be a woman who is not well-off in Scotland.
“And relying on the place you reside, the state of affairs could possibly be even worse.”
Ms Minto, SNP MSP for Argyll and Bute, mentioned she had learn the identical article.
She mentioned: “I absolutely understand the concern that this is causing.”
The minister mentioned the Scottish authorities had met with scientific results in “understand current practice and how we can continue to improve outcomes”, with enchancment work already beneath manner.
Ms Minto added: “The Scottish ovarian cancer clinic networks [have] set out some immediate actions, but also some short-term actions.
“For instance, together with rising theatre capability and in addition mutual help between well being boards.”
Source: information.sky.com”