Hansard

I, too, thank my colleague Stuart McMillan for the motion, and I welcome the opportunity to close the debate on improving bladder cancer diagnosis in Scotland. I record my appreciation of Mr McMillan’s hard work and his continued engagement and awareness raising, especially in relation to less well-known cancers such as bladder cancer. As Carol Mochan said, the debate has been very helpful in that respect, and I thank all my colleagues.

On behalf of the Scottish Government, I recognise all those who are affected by bladder cancer. Adjusting to a cancer diagnosis is never easy, and I understand the impact that it has not just on the individuals who are diagnosed but on their loved ones. I give recognition and thanks to third sector organisations and groups such as Fight Bladder Cancer that provide invaluable support, help and information to people. As others have noted, the Fight Bladder Cancer website is a fantastic resource for anyone who is affected by bladder cancer. The group is part of the Scottish cancer coalition, and I thank it for the support that it gives the Scottish Government, which is very much appreciated. My conversation with the charity when it was in the Parliament was extremely helpful and informative. As Emma Harper and others have highlighted, and as I have noted, the Fight Bladder Cancer website is an incredibly important resource.

Cancer remains a national priority for the Scottish Government and across NHS Scotland, which is why we published our “Cancer Strategy for Scotland 2023-2033”, along with the initial three-year cancer action plan. Our strategic aim is to improve cancer survival rates and to provide excellent, equitably accessible care. The strategy and plan take a comprehensive approach to improving patient pathways, from prevention and diagnosis through to treatment and post-treatment care.

We have also developed the early cancer diagnosis vision to reduce later-stage disease by 18 percentage points by 2033. As we have heard today, raising awareness of bladder cancer and its symptoms is crucial in detecting the cancer early and improving outcomes for those who are diagnosed. I thank Stuart McMillan, Emma Harper and Sandesh Gulhane for clearly outlining the symptoms.

The Scottish Government continues to invest in a range of programmes to detect cancer earlier, because we understand that the earlier cancer is detected, the easier it is to treat. That includes content on our Get Checked Early website, which highlights symptoms and advises when to seek professional advice, including for bladder cancer.

The roll-out of our rapid cancer diagnostic services is a useful addition to how cancer can be diagnosed in Scotland. They provide primary care with access to a new, fast-track diagnostic pathway for patients with non-specific symptoms that raise suspicion of cancer, such as weight loss and fatigue, which can feature for those with bladder cancer. Scotland’s rapid cancer diagnostic services are ruling cancer in or out faster for those with non-specific symptoms, which supports our earlier cancer diagnosis vision. Additionally, we are establishing urology diagnostic hubs across NHS Scotland to provide efficient and patient-centred care for urology patients. The hubs aim to reduce the number of appointments that patients are required to attend and provide rapid access to diagnostics. There are currently seven such hubs across NHS Scotland.

Just last month, the Scottish Government published the updated Scottish referral guidelines for urgent suspicion of cancer. The guidelines support primary care clinicians to identify those with symptoms that raise suspicion of cancer and to identify those who require urgent assessment by a specialist. Referrals are closely monitored to ensure that capacity and support are available for those on an urgent suspicion of cancer pathway, including for bladder cancer.

The Scottish Government recognises that bladder cancer and urological pathways are some of our most challenged. That is why regional networks are developing improvements related to workforce recruitment and maximising capacity across the existing workforce. We are directing more than £14 million of the £110 million planned care funding that was made available in 2025-26 across NHS Scotland to reduce cancer waiting times, with a focus on colorectal, urological and breast cancer as our most challenged pathways. We have also committed to additional funding of up to £10 million for chemotherapy services.

The Scottish Government is focused on supporting our NHS and social care staff now and into the future. The wellbeing of staff remains a priority, and our workforce is central to implementing our vision and delivering the outcomes of the strategy and plan. We are working with NHS Scotland to address staffing as a matter of urgency, and we are working closely with NHS boards and clinical leads from across the country to address pressures in a sustainable way. That includes retaining staff in specialist roles and prioritising staff wellbeing, because evidence shows that positive wellbeing enhances staff retention and engagement, which in turn raises standards of patient safety and care quality.

Although I am proud of the continued prioritised investment to improve cancer services, we must keep reminding ourselves that at the centre of those investments and programmes are people—people who receive life-changing news when they receive a cancer diagnosis. Understanding the needs and experience of people who are diagnosed with cancer must remain at the heart of what we do. The results from the latest Scottish cancer patient experience survey show that 95 per cent of people are positive about their overall cancer care experience, which is reassuring and a positive result driven by those who deliver care in our NHS.

We are working in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support to improve the service that we offer to patients with cancer through the transforming cancer care programme, which is worth £27 million. It is the first programme of its kind in the UK that provides specialist key support workers who offer emotional, financial and practical support to people with cancer. Patients with cancer will be invited or referred to an improving the cancer journey service to speak to a link officer, who will complete a holistic needs assessment and generate a care plan to meet their needs. Service users will be followed by the link worker in the community, to monitor progress with agreed actions.

We will continue to work with Macmillan, our other third sector partners and NHS boards to further improve the experience of people who are diagnosed with cancer.

I again offer my sincere thanks to all members for their contributions in the debate and to all organisations that offer vital support services to those affected by bladder cancer.