Shock stats show Lanarkshire has worst wait times in Scotland for vital bowel cancer tests

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Just six per cent of people in Lanarkshire are seen for vital bowel cancer screening tests - the worst in all of Scotland.Shocking new stats have revealed that NHS Lanarkshire patients have the lowest rate in Scotland for colonoscopies.

A new report on the Scottish bowel cancer screening programme also revealed that waiting times for colonoscopies in NHS Lanarkshire are increasing, with 76.3 per cent of patients now waiting more than eight weeks.The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now.

Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android Across Scotland the figure stood at 31.4 per cent of people who had to wait more than four weeks, and over a third waited more than eight weeks.Uptake for screenings is also among the lowest in the country with just 63.6 per cent of people in Lanarkshire taking part.The figure is even lower for males, with 61.4 per cent attending screenings, whilst it is 65.7 per cent for women.The same report showed the vast gulf between the response rate in the most and least deprived areas widening, with an uptake rate of just 55.1 per cent in the most deprived areas compared to 73.2 per cent in the least deprived.

For NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, which caters for some Rutherglen residents, the figures were also poor, with just 7.6 per cent of people seen within four weeks, and 77 per cent having to wait longer than eight weeks.