South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth has warned of a cancer care crisis in south Scotland and demanded urgent action to tackle the backlog of cancer care.

The warning comes as new statistics published on Tuesday show that cancer incidence was on the rise in the south of Scotland even before then pandemic began.

Colin Smyth said: “We are facing a cancer care crisis due to the pandemic and with incidence on the rise, thousands of Scots are now in a race against time to get treatment.

“It is the duty of the Scottish Government to pull out all the stops to ensure that people get the treatment that they need.

“Anything short of immediate and proportionate action to tackle the cancer care crisis is playing fast and loose with the lives of Scots.

“We need to see diagnostics and screening efforts ramped up immediately.

“Tackling the Covid pandemic hit other NHS services hard, including cancer care.

“During the election campaign Labour highlighted the need for action to fix the cancer crisis and just because polling day is behind us, it won’t stop us demanding that the Scottish Government pull out all the stops to ensure that people get the treatment they need.

“As we move out of the pandemic we need to see diagnostics and screening efforts ramped up, anything short of putting cancer care at the heart of a recovery plan for Scotland would be playing fast and loose with people’s lives.”