PATIENTS in Glasgow referred by GPs for 'urgent' cancer tests are waiting longer than anywhere else in Scotland to start treatment, figures show.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde recorded the worst rate against a 62-day target across all mainland health boards.

The target aims to ensure at least 95 per cent of patients urgently referred with a suspicion of cancer should wait no more than 62 days from referral to first cancer treatment.

In Greater Glasgow and Clyde, the figure was 77.4 per cent – the worst in the country after NHS Western Isles.  Across Scotland, 82.7 per cent of patients were treatment within the target.

Read more: NHS Glasgow apologise after medics failed to tell cancer patient disease had spread 

Scottish Labour MSP for Glasgow, Anas Sarwar, said: “These waiting time figures for Glasgow are simply unacceptable.

“Cancer is Scotland’s biggest killer and early detection and treatment is crucial.

“The target exists to give people the best chance of survival and it is alarming that it hasn’t been met once in the last six years.

Read more: For more of today's top Glasgow stories click here 

“In Glasgow, that means thousands of people have been left to endure an anxious wait to begin treatment.

“There is a workforce crisis in the NHS and it’s time to urgently increase capacity in cancer detection and treatment, with a two-week waiting time for cancer diagnosis to raise survival rates.”

Macmillan’s head in Scotland, Janice Preston said, “These figures once again show the difficulties cancer services are facing.

"With a growing number of people living with cancer and more people coming forward for tests, the cancer workforce is under pressure.

“It’s vital the government publish its workforce plan, setting out how it will ensure Scotland has the right workforce in place to respond to growing demands.”