NHS Tayside, Fife and Forth Valley all experienced increases in the number of cancer deaths in the past year. There were 39 more deaths in Fife, 108 more in Forth Valley and 146 more in Tayside; an increase of 8.8% across Mid-Scotland and Fife.
Murdo Fraser has urged the Scottish Government to maintain their focus on healthcare and believes that a rise in the number of prostate cancer deaths in Tayside and Forth Valley underlines the importance of the ‘Movember’ public awareness campaign.
Commenting Mid-Scotland and Fife MSP Murdo Fraser said:
“It is the Scottish Government’s duty to ensure that all Scots have access to the same levels of healthcare as those patients south of the border and that includes cancer care.
“An 8.8% increase is significant and cannot be ignored, demographic forces are perhaps responsible for some of the increases, but the Scottish Government must maintain focus on the real issues affecting Scots, and cancer care is one of them.
“The continuing importance of the ‘Movember’ campaign is underlined by a modest increase in Prostate cancer deaths in both Forth Valley and Tayside which demonstrates that much work is still to be done.”