Hansard

I begin by expressing my sincere thanks not only to Emma Harper for bringing this important motion to the Parliament today but to my other fellow MSPs, who have all provided meaningful and thought-provoking contributions to our discussion. I also thank Emma Harper, Clare Adamson, Emma Roddick, Marie McNair and Christine Grahame for all bringing the name of Christina McKelvie back to the chamber. Her passion for and focus on ensuring that breast cancer and secondary breast cancer were kept at the forefront of people’s minds were such a great representation of how an MSP and minister can be. I thank them all for bringing a smile to my face, because when Christina is mentioned, that is what I do—I smile. She also gave me so much support.

I, too, associate myself with the motion’s commendation of the work of the charities Make 2nds Count and Breast Cancer Now. Thankfully, both charities are active members of the Scottish Cancer Coalition, and I gratefully appreciate their contribution to the national conversation on breast cancer issues. I value their vital work to support women living with secondary breast cancer in Scotland. I have met both charities on several occasions since I became Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health and look forward to continuing that important collaboration.

Breast Cancer Now published its five-year strategy at the end of September. I was pleased to note that we continue to be aligned on our priorities for cancer in the coming years and that its three key themes of earlier diagnosis, care and support, and new treatment echo the ambitions of our 10-year cancer strategy for Scotland, which we published in 2023.

I will touch on what Miles Briggs commented on. It is right to say that we are hugely privileged when we meet those living with cancer. They explain to us the way in which we can try to improve people’s lives not only in Edinburgh but more widely across Scotland. I feel very strongly about that.

At lunch time today, I was pleased to meet charities that support those with secondary breast cancer and campaigners who are living with the condition. I, too, very much welcome them all to our Parliament today. I thank them for their time, and I acknowledge the variety of experiences that they shared with me. I assure them that my officials meet health boards’ cancer management teams monthly to identify challenges, explore solutions and share best practice. I have specifically asked that they reflect on the conversation that I had with those who I met earlier today.

I am aware that the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care is due to meet Breast Cancer Now and the campaigners Jen Hardy and Alison Tait in January 2026 to further discuss how we can support women living with secondary breast cancer.

We know that one in nine women living in Scotland will develop breast cancer at some stage in their life. Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in Scotland and the most common cancer detected in females. Miles Briggs was right to talk about men living with breast cancer and secondary breast cancer.

We know that early diagnosis is vital, and we continue to fund our detect cancer earlier campaign “Be the Early Bird”. Urgent suspicion of cancer referrals continue to be prioritised, and we are treating more patients with cancer on time within both standards compared with the same quarter six years ago. We have specifically invested in driving up productivity and tackling waiting lists, with support from the national centre for sustainable delivery. Together, our actions will further enable NHS Scotland to maximise capacity, build greater resilience and deliver year-on-year reductions in the number of patients who have waited too long for treatment.

Moreover, we are committed to ensuring that those who are diagnosed with secondary breast cancer receive the best possible treatment and support to live well. Our strategy has a range of measures that are aimed at benefiting all those who live with cancer, including the implementation of a single point of contact to support patients throughout their journey and after discharge. That approach ensures that people who are recently diagnosed with cancer have person-centred support and can discuss their specific circumstances.

We are working in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support to improve the service that we offer patients with cancer through the transforming cancer care programme. That joint partnership, which is worth £27 million, is the first of its kind in the UK, and it ensures that people who are affected by cancer in Scotland have access to a specialist key support worker who can provide, and signpost them to, emotional, financial and practical support. As Pam Duncan-Glancy mentioned, that financial support is very important, and we are already seeing the positive impact of that work.

However, we do understand that there are still areas in which we can improve—indeed, I heard as much earlier—and that is why we are continuing to invest in initiatives that support earlier and faster diagnosis and drive person-centred holistic care. We will continue to work with Macmillan, other third sector partners and health boards to determine any new actions that are required to further improve the experience of people who are diagnosed with cancer. I noted Pam Duncan-Glancy’s comments about support for people living with disabilities, and I am happy to look at the points that she has raised with the screening team.

With regard to Alexander Stewart’s comments on palliative care, I agree that such care is very important. I was pleased to launch the “Palliative Care Matters for All” framework earlier this year, and I was also pleased that a palliative care doctor won doctor of the year award at the NHS Scotland health awards last week.

There has been a lot of comment on access to medicines and, as I said earlier, I met campaigners today, who shared their concerns about the Scottish Medicines Consortium’s decision not to recommend the drug elacestrant on the NHS in Scotland. The SMC operates independently of Government and must base its decisions on the best possible evidence. I know that it continues to keep access to new and emerging medicines under review, and the Scottish Government continues to work with the NHS and the SMC on improving access to new medicines. I assure members and those to whom I spoke earlier that doctors can still request to use elacestrant on a case-by-case basis, if they consider that it meets a person’s clinical needs, and I also state that the Scottish Government would encourage the pharmaceutical company to make a resubmission to the SMC.

Clare Adamson recognised the importance of genomics. The Scottish Government is improving the diagnosis and targeted treatment of disease through continued investment in genomics, and we recognise the importance of genomic testing.

I will make a final point on data collection. I, too, recognise the importance of data, and I know that it is an important issue for Breast Cancer Now and Make 2nds Count, as well as for patients, including those whom I had the pleasure of meeting earlier today. I appreciated the open and honest discussion that was recently held in Parliament, and I have heard clearly the requests from members across the chamber.

In our cancer action plan, we committed to improving data collection for metastatic cancers, starting with metastatic breast cancer, and my officials are working closely with Public Health Scotland on a thorough review of our options in relation to the collection of data on secondary breast cancer. That review will consider the clinical time that is required to do that work and how it can improve services and outcomes for patients as a priority. We will agree the best method of data collection by the end of the current cancer action plan period in 2026.

I finish by thanking Emma Harper and her colleagues for their contributions, as well as Breast Cancer Now, Make 2nds Count and other organisations that provide vital support and empowerment to people living with secondary breast cancer in Scotland.