SCOTLAND'S NHS has paid out an eyewatering £11million in compensation to cancer patients whose treatment was delayed.
Health boards have paid dozens of people since 2019-20 following lengthy waits for lifesaving diagnoses and operations.
A total of £11,442,443 went on at least 49 separate settlements across the last five years.
The news of massive payouts comes as the Scottish Government faces serious questions over failing to meet key cancer waiting time targets.
Last night Brenda Eadie, of NHS Workers United for Scotland, said the shocking new figures showed understaffed hospitals were leading to mistakes and delays in cancer treatment.
She said: "These delays are down to staffing levels, there is no doubt about it, but £11.5million is a huge number.
"It could have been avoided if they had only put the budget money where it should have gone in the first place.
"If they had put money into a drive to recruit and retain permanent staff then that list of patients would certainly have been much lower."
She added: "If the NHS had enough staff to begin then with people wouldn't have suffered or even died as patients wouldn't have been kept waiting.
"More people will die as the situation is getting to the point whereby this time next year there will be no NHS Scotland.
"There is no staff and no budget to employ staff as we've already seen with our new nurses not being able to get jobs."
Of those that replied to the request for information, Lothian Health Board paid out the largest amount in Scotland, with £4,694,631 in compensation going to patients and their families since 2019.
This story is from the August 20, 2024 edition of Daily Record.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the August 20, 2024 edition of Daily Record.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
HELL..OR HISTORY
AFTER months of campaigning by both sides, the day that will decide America's future finally arrived yesterday... and the divisions tearing the country apart were there for all to see.
FIGHTBACK
I buried mum with title belt. I promised her I'd win another, says Ally as ring return looms 4 years on
DALBY CAN BE DOUBLING UP
JIM GOODWIN believes in-form Sam Dalby can fire himself into double figures at Dundee United.
SCOTT FREE IN SAINTS ATTACK
SCOTT TANSER reckons his previous life as a forward can help him be St Mirren's secret striking threat.
UNITED'S BEST WIN ALL SEASON
It's advantage Ruben as Red Devils' incoming boss dishes out a doing to Pep in....
TRYING SHAME
Hero Graham out but Rowe and Fagerson back for Boks
After the flood...
Disease fears in dirty water | £10.6billion of aid promised
JET SET PET
Bright lights of cities lure pooch with a passport
I'LL BE TAKING TIPS FROM TESS
As he gets set for hosting duties for this year's BBC fundraising extravaganza, Kay has the ideal ally to get him prepared
DEATHS CRASH LORRY DRIVER WALKS FREE
Traffic queue had halted before smash