Health bosses confident of sustaining cancer treatment times

IMPRESSIVE waiting time results on cancer treatment are sustainable, the NHS has said.

Following the release of statistics last month showing that the NHS Lothian health board is one of the best performing for waiting times in the country, Health Minister Nicola Sturgeon asked the board if it could keep it up.

Her questioning came at the board's annual review in Livingston earlier this week.

She said a target of no-one waiting longer than two months for cancer treatment was well on course.

"The board has made great progress in meeting the 62-day target, I'm keen to hear if you think these improvements are sustainable," she said.

Jackie Sansbury, right, director of strategic planning and modernisation for NHS Lothian, replied: "I think they are. Colorectal figures are (now] up to 96 per cent so we do believe we are in the place where our results are sustainable.

"We have found that one of the hardest nuts to crack."