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The health of 100,000 people in Scotland could be at risk after plans to axe a vital health service were revealed. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) is proposing to abandon providing health care for skin cancer in the local area. It will instead provide only health care for internal cancers such as bowel, lung, stomach and womb cancers. The health board has described its move as an attempt to improve patients’ chances of being diagnosed early enough to cure the disease. However campaigners are concerned that not all these internal diseases have visible symptoms until they are too advanced to treat successfully. They say thousands of Scots could die needlessly if NHSGGC cuts back on treatment for non-internal cancers like skin cancer which can sometimesbe treated successfully if caught early. read on
Around 9,000 of the 100,000 people who could be affected are thought to be Scots suffering from skin cancer. The health service is also looking at providing health care only for oncology patients in Lanarkshire – rather than providing health care for breast cancer sufferers there too. Maryhill mother-of-two, Andrea Mowat (41) had her left breast removed after discovering she had a lump when she was pregnant with her youngest child. She said: “I couldn’t believe it when I found out that this vital health service is being taken away.” “If I hadn’t gone for my mammogram last year then I wouldn’t have known that I had the cancerand I wouldn’t have had the chance to fight it. Cancer can be fatal and people’s health could definitely be at risk.” The health service is also looking at providing health care only for oncology patients in Lanarkshire – rather than providing health care for breast cancer sufferers there too. Around 9,000 of the 100,000 people who could be affected are thought to be Scots suffering from skin cancer. Campaigners fear many thousands more people will die if they don’t receive health care when they need it most. Maryhill mother-of-two, Andrea Mowat (41) had her left breast removed after discovering she had a lump when she was pregnant with her youngest child. She said: “I couldn’t believe it when I found out that this vital health service is being taken away.” “If I hadn’t gone for my mammogram last year then I wouldn’t have known that I had the cancerand I wouldn’t have had the chance to fight it. Cancer can be fatal and people’s health could definitely be at risk.” NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) is proposing to abandon providing health care for skin cancer in the local area. It will instead provide only health care for internal cancers such as bowel, lung, stomach and womb cancers. |
