KEY cancer waiting time targets have slipped to the worst performance on record, according to the latest figures.

Opposition parties described the statistics as a “national scandal”, while cancer charities called for urgent action.

The Scottish Government has already announced extra funding to cut waiting times for diagnostic tests.

READ MORE: Shona Robison's tricky time as Health Secretary has dignified end

New figures show only 85% of patients urgently referred with a suspicion of cancer started treatment within the 62-day standard between January and March – falling short of the 95% target.

The figure was down from 87.1% in the previous quarter and from 88.1% in the same period the previous year.

Meanwhile 93.5% of patients waited no more than 31 days from decision to treat to first cancer treatment, missing the 95% target.

Performance slipped from 94.6% in the previous three months, and was down from 94.8% in the same quarter in 2017. Only NHS Borders, Lanarkshire and Shetland met the 62-day standard, while 10 out of 15 boards met the 31-day standard.

Breast cancer was the only cancer type to successfully meet the 62-day standard, with 95.1%.

Eight of the 10 reported cancer types met the 31-day standard, with the standard missed in breast and urological cancers.

Gordon McLean of Macmillan Cancer Support said: “There’s an urgent need for health boards across Scotland to learn from the areas where targets are being met.”

The Scottish Government this week announced an extra £6 million to help cut waiting times for endoscopies.

It is hoped the number of people waiting for diagnostic tests will be cut by at least 2500 by September, and 5000 by December.

It is part of a £14m action plan to ensure that those who have been waiting for more than six weeks are seen as a matter of urgency.

Gregor McNie of Cancer Research UK said: “We welcome the Scottish Government’s decision to invest £6m to ensure more patients who need an endoscopy are seen within the target time.

“However, this is just one piece of the puzzle. Similar action is needed across other diagnostic services.”

Shona Robison, who yesterday stood down as Health Secretary, said: “Boards have given me reassurance that cancer patients continue to be prioritised however performance is simply not good enough in an area of high clinical priority.”

Alongside the £14 million action plan, Robison said £25m would target long waits for treatment in a number of specialities, while a further £25m later this year would build upon improvements.

Scottish Labour’s health spokesman Anas Sarwar said “having thousands of people wait too long is a national scandal”.

“Health Secretary Shona Robison’s legacy at health is one of horrendous mismanagement and then total denial over performance,” he said.