A postcode lottery for hospital tests sees Tayside patients far less likely to be seen within Scotland’s target time than their neighbours in Fife, official figures show.
Nearly 400 patients in Tayside had to wait longer than six weeks for diagnosis procedures in March, according to the NHS Scotland figures.
However, all of Fife’s patients were seen within that time frame.
NHS Tayside said urgent referrals, such as when cancer is suspected, are sent to the front of the queue.
Twenty patients had to wait longer than six weeks in Tayside in March 2014, compared with 228 in the same month in 2015 and this year’s figure of 392.
Conservative MSP Liz Smith, who represents Mid Scotland and Fife, said it looks “increasingly unlikely that NHS Tayside will get these figures under control”.
“For comparison not one patient in Fife had to wait longer than 6 weeks (in March 2016) but nearly 400 did in NHS Tayside and a real post code lottery would appear to exist when it comes to radiology and other tests,” she said.
NHS Tayside’s associate medical director Gavin Main said most of the delays were associated with colonoscopy and MRI scans.
He said they are putting in additional anaesthetist sessions to reduce MRI delays and are making progress in meeting demand for colonoscopies.
“All urgent referrals, including urgent suspicion of cancer, have been prioritised accordingly,” Mr Main added.
Health secretary Shona Robison said the SNP Government had increased NHS Tayside’s budget by 5.8%.
“While health boards across Scotland – including Tayside – continue to deliver some of the lowest waiting times on record, we have been clear that they must continue to get the right structures in place to ensure everyone is seen within the target time, she said.
“We will continue to work closely with them to support the delivery.”
She added a £40 million new elective surgery centre for Dundee will help cut waiting times.