Chamber and committees

Cancer treatment has not stopped in Scotland. Vital cancer treatments and emergency, maternity and urgent care will continue where clinically agreed. The majority of cancer treatments have continued throughout this pandemic. However, some patient’s treatment plans have changed to minimise their individual risk of COVID-19. Those that require changes will always be made on a clinical basis and should be made in discussion with the patient and clinical team. We very much understand the concerns of patients whose treatments have been postponed. Clinical guidance is being developed to ensure patients in most urgent need of treatment are seen as priority, and that all patients throughout Scotland have equity of access to treatment.

Alongside this is our current work to restart paused NHS services across primary, secondary and acute care, of which on broad indication is given in the "COVID-19 Framework for Decision Making – Scotland’s Route map through and out of the crisis document" published on 21 May. As we work with Boards, Royal Colleges, Unions and other partners we will be focussed on clinical advice and will set out our decisions for Phase 1 activity and the evidence and rationale on which these decisions are made.