A key cancer treatment waiting time target was achieved by NHS Lanarkshire throughout 2015.

The waiting time standard calls for 95 per cent of patients to receive initial treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral with suspected cancer or a positive screening for the disease.

NHS Lanarkshire met the target in each quarter of last year, according to figures from NHS Scotland’s Information Services Division (ISD).

The most recent ISD statistics, which cover the last quarter of 2015, show 95.3 per cent of NHS Lanarkshire patients started cancer treatment within 62 days, compared to a national average of 90.8 per cent.

Heather Knox, NHS Lanarkshire director of acute services, said: “The provision of planned care by NHS boards in Scotland is governed by a number of targets and standards.

“Our excellent performance in relation to cancer treatment waiting times is down to the dedication and hard work of our staff.

“The wait for people after a suspicion of cancer is raised is a particularly distressing and anxious time for both patients and their families. The 62-day standard intends to ensure that these patients are prioritised to receive the tests and procedures they need to confirm or eliminate the suspicion of cancer as quickly as possible, and, if cancer is diagnosed, to begin treatment as soon as possible.

“We are working hard to maintain and improve our performance to ensure patients continue to receive the highest standards of care while avoiding delays for patients where possible.”

Last year, NHS Lanarkshire also achieved a second national cancer standard, which calls for 95 per cent of patients diagnosed with cancer to be treated within 31 days of the decision to treat them.