Cancer patients have faced delays in treatment because of a backlog at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, it has emerged.
Radiotherapy patients have had to wait while NHS Grampian staff clear the build-up, which has occurred over the last six to eight weeks because of staffing pressures.
Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon, who last week threatened to sack bosses at the north-east’s flagship hospital if hygiene services did not improve after a damaging report from the Healthcare and Environment Inspectorate (HEI), has asked for a full report.
The health board says there has been no delay in dealing with emergency patients and a series of measures, including the recruitment of new staff, has been put in place to deal with the problem, which has affected non-urgent cases.
One north-east man, whose wife is currently being treated for breast cancer, said he was surprised to learn about the backlog.
The man, who declined to be named, said: “This is a very stressful time for both of us and the quicker my wife can get the treatment she requires the better.
“As taxpayers, you expect to get NHS treatment when you need it – not when it suits the hospital.
“The health board says there has been no delay in dealing with emergency patients. I think anyone suffering from cancer is an emergency patient.”
Conservative health spokeswoman Mary Scanlon MSP said: “Any backlog and delay in treatment is the full responsibility of NHS Grampian.
“Coping with a cancer diagnosis is stressful enough for patients without having to worry about delays in treatment and infection control.
“ NHS Grampian have got to get their act together.”
Labour health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie said: “This is clearly a traumatic time for people diagnosed with cancer. We need to avoid any delays happening in the system and it is imperative that NHS Grampian address the backlog.
“Whether it is down to the number of staff or for whatever reason, we need to make people the priority and I hope that the delays are addressed swiftly.”
Ms Sturgeon said: “I’m concerned to hear that patients are having a longer than expected wait for radiotherapy treatment, as I know that undergoing cancer treatment is a worrying time.
“However, I’m assured that there has been no delay for any patient requiring emergency radiotherapy.
“NHS Grampian also assure me that they are currently recruiting new staff to rectify this problem. I have asked for a full report on the situation from the board.”
An NHS Grampian spokeswoman said the delays had not affected those needing emergency radiotherapy as their first or main treatment for cancer.
She said “a range of staffing pressures” meant one of the machines providing radiotherapy – normally used on a part-time basis – had not been used and patients who would have been treated with it were treated on the department’s two main machines.
“The ability to deal with high peaks in demand has meant that some people who have already had cancer treatment but who will also receive radiotherapy, have been waiting,” she said.
She added that they were seeing more patients each day and the backlog had now been cleared.