| Professor Alastair Thompson was critical of the effect government targets are having on delivering “appropriate” treatment in Tayside. Now health chiefs want the specialist to address them directly about the problems.
Professor Thompson’s worries were raised at a meeting of the board of NHS Tayside in King’s Cross Hospital, Dundee, today.
Members were discussing an end of year progress report on the delivery of national and local targets when chief operating officer Gerry Marr spoke up.
He made reference to a nationally set target that women who have breast cancer will get treatment within 31 days.
Figures presented to the board showed only 65% of women in Tayside with breast cancer received treatment within a month.
“The leader of the breast surgery service, Alastair Thompson, has written to me in the last 24 hours to express serious reservations that the 31-day target is distorting clinical priorities and diverting resources and effort away from appropriate treatment,” said Mr Marr. “He is seeking an opportunity to address the appropriate committee of the board to set out the reasons for his concerns.”
Professor Thompson’s concerns were not further elaborated upon at that stage, and it was agreed to ask him to address the delivery unit committee.
However, it is understood there are a number of complex treatment options available for women with breast cancer, and patients sometimes benefit from taking time to decide the most appropriate course of treatment in consultation with their specialist.
Some treatments, such as reconstruction surgery, can be done at the same time as breast removal or some time after the initial lifesaving surgery.
Around 300 women in Tayside are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. Better treatments and earlier detection are improving survival, but around 100 women in Tayside die from the disease every year. |
