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I encourage those who are leaving the chamber and the public gallery to do so as quickly and quietly as possible as we move on to the next item of business, which is a members’ business debate on motion S6M-19074, in the name of Clare Adamson, on pancreatic cancer awareness month and world pancreatic cancer day 2025. The debate will be concluded without any question being put.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament notes Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, which takes place every November, and World Pancreatic Cancer Day 2025, which falls on 20 November; believes that, for decades, pancreatic cancer has been left behind; understands that it receives just 3% of the UK cancer research budget; considers that an increase in long-term investment in such research could transform persistent low survival rates; notes the view that there is an urgent need to improve early diagnosis and outcomes for people affected by the condition; considers that extremely low survival rates in Scotland exist largely due to late-stage diagnosis and limited access to robust diagnostics and treatment resources; notes calls for further action to ensure that people at higher risk of cancer are identified earlier and consistently across the country; further notes the view that both the development of a centralised, nationwide case-finding programme is necessary to proactively identify high-risk people across multiple cancer types and that it is vital to ensure that the provisions of the Rare Cancers Bill are fully implemented, including the development of a national prospective observational cohort study for rare and less survivable cancers to support ongoing research; commends all of the charities and activist organisations, and their dedicated supporters, on what it sees as their relentless efforts to improve outcomes for people with this condition, and wishes everyone involved with Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month and World Pancreatic Cancer Day every success in raising awareness of this devastating disease.
12:49
I thank everyone who supported the motion recognising pancreatic cancer awareness month and world pancreatic cancer day, which is today for 2025, and all the members who took part in the photo call in the garden lobby a few weeks ago. I hope that members of Pancreatic Cancer UK and Pancreatic Cancer Action Scotland are with us today on this important occasion.
Although this might be the last pancreatic cancer debate in this parliamentary session, I trust that it will not be the last that we have in the Parliament, as we have established this regular debate as an important moment when we look at the impact of this incredibly devastating cancer.
Pancreatic cancer is the deadliest common cancer. Each year, just under 900 people in Scotland are diagnosed, and the statistics remain stark. Half of those diagnosed die within three months, eight in 10 are diagnosed too late for life-saving treatment and only seven in every 100 survive beyond five years. I know that it has touched members since our previous debate, as it has touched all of us over the years. On world pancreatic cancer day, it is crucial that we remember that those numbers represent families that will never be the same and lives that are cut painfully short.
The central problem that we face is that of late detection. Symptoms of pancreatic cancer are vague—back pain, indigestion, weight loss and jaundice—and are often viewed as non-urgent in primary care settings. Nine in 10 patients visit their general practitioner multiple times before being diagnosed. However, by that time, the cancer is often too advanced for surgery or other life-saving treatments.
We know that progress is possible, and we must have better outcomes. It is encouraging that research into early detection of pancreatic cancer is showing progress and has the potential to shift the dial towards earlier diagnosis during the next few years. That is because of organisations such as Pancreatic Cancer UK and Pancreatic Cancer Action, which fund research and are working to help doctors in primary care detect the disease earlier.
One such project is the volatile organic compound assessment in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma—known as VAPOR—study, led by Professor George Hanna at Imperial College London. His team is developing a breath test for use in GP surgeries to rapidly identify patients with pancreatic cancer. Early results indicate that the test accurately detects the disease at its earliest stages. The study will advance to its second phase in the new year, which will see about 40 hospitals across the United Kingdom, including some here in Scotland, take part in a national trial. If successful, that simple test could transform the way in which people are referred for assessment, allowing the disease to be caught at a stage at which treatment is still possible.
We are also seeing pioneering work from researchers across Scotland. At the University of Glasgow, Professor Nigel Jamieson is leading a project to identify which pancreatic cysts are most likely to turn cancerous. That could allow early intervention for those who are most at risk. Other UK studies are developing blood and urine tests and tools to identify new-onset diabetes that can signal the earliest stages of pancreatic cancer. Each of those projects is a vital step towards earlier diagnosis and, ultimately, saving lives.
However, research alone is not enough. Pancreatic cancer research receives only 3 per cent of the UK’s total cancer research funding, despite being on track to become the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death in the coming years, overtaking breast cancer. That imbalance and delay in progress is costing lives, and we urgently need a UK-wide commitment to achieve substantial improvements in survival rates for cancers with the poorest outcomes, including pancreatic, brain, liver, lung, oesophageal and stomach cancer. That must be achieved by the end of the decade.
We wait for the progress that new research will undoubtedly bring, but we must not lose sight of the patients who are facing cancer right now. Since I spoke in last year’s members’ business debate, another 900 people in Scotland will have been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and many of them will be subject to delays and variation in care.
I have been working closely with representatives of Pancreatic Cancer UK and Pancreatic Cancer Action and the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care to ensure that the new national hepato-pancreato-biliary cancer pathway covers referral, diagnosis and treatment. It is vital to ensure that no patient slips through the cracks. As part of that, the national centre for sustainable delivery will commence work on an optimal diagnostic pathway for HPB cancers, which is expected to be completed by 2026. I welcome the excellent opportunity to strengthen the diagnosis capacity across the health service and ensure that patients are referred for investigation as quickly and early as possible.
I think that there will be an opportunity for members to visit Pancreatic Cancer Action Scotland’s pan can van outside the Scottish Parliament today. I commend Tunnock’s, a Scottish icon that I am sure is in all our thoughts, given Scotland’s wonderful performance the other night. Every year for pancreatic cancer day, Tunnock’s produces tea cakes with an iconic purple covering, and this is a rare opportunity to see those in action. I urge all members to support the incredible work of Pancreatic Cancer Action and Pancreatic Cancer UK in raising awareness of the disease.
I can confirm that the Tunnock’s wafers on my Loganair flight were suitably badged.
12:56
I thank Clare Adamson for securing the debate once again this year. I sometimes wonder where the year goes between these debates. This has become an annual debate and I hope that that continues to be the case in the next session of Parliament, because these debates are important.
As co-convener of the cross-party group on cancer, I thank the many campaigners who have joined us in the public gallery, not just for joining us but for their advocacy on the issue over many years. Like so many of us, they have had friends and family members who have been devastated by pancreatic cancer, which is what drives their desire for not only life-saving but life-improving healthcare for all those affected by the disease. I also put on record my thanks to Pancreatic Cancer Action Scotland and the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce for their hard work and the briefings that they provided ahead of the debate.
Today is world pancreatic cancer day 2025. As many of us are aware, pancreatic cancer is one of the six less survivable cancers on which action is still greatly needed to improve outcomes. Less survivable cancers—those of the brain, liver, lung, stomach, oesophagus and pancreas—account for around a quarter of all cancer diagnoses in Scotland, affecting more than 9,000 people a year. That is not an insignificant number. However, in spite of that, the prognosis for those cancers has not improved in the way that we would want—the average five-year survival rate still sits at just 16 per cent.
Pancreatic cancer has the lowest survival rate of all cancers, with just 7 per cent of all patients surviving for five years or longer. In 2010, when Pancreatic Cancer Action was founded, the rate sat at just 3 per cent. Progress has been made, but not fast enough. Every one of us in Parliament wants that rate to improve, which is why so many members speak in the debate every year. Input and support from those with lived experience is crucial in helping us better understand pancreatic cancer. As we know, it is a fast-developing, devastating cancer that needs to be caught early.
Last week, I co-chaired the Scottish cancer conference at the University of Strathclyde, alongside Jackie Baillie. I had a number of interesting conversations about pancreatic cancer that day. There is a real call to ensure that the Scottish Government supports the national HPB pathway—a national approach that aligns closely with the new cancer action plan for 2023-26. The commitment to invest in improving the pathway for less survivable cancers, particularly pancreatic cancer, is really important. I hope that we see that turnaround.
The national model will ensure uniform care across all regions of our country, helping to reduce health inequalities and improve outcomes across Scotland. Therefore, it is a real step forward. It is also hoped that that pathway will address Scotland’s record long cancer waiting times, on which we need to keep a focus as well.
I urge ministers to support the implementation of the pathway to ensure that there is genuine progress on care targets. That call for action has been heard from campaigners for some time and if, as I hope we do, we see that progress, it will very much be down to their hard work.
Scotland has done a huge amount to ensure progress in tackling pancreatic cancer. We cannot forget that and we need to celebrate it. Although outcomes for patients might not be where we want them to be, we have made progress as a country.
I will end on a point of hope. I often come into contact with our former MSP colleague John Scott. Last weekend, I met him on Saturday in Stranraer. He was bouncing around my colleague’s constituency delivering leaflets. John is an example of what I pray and hope that we will all see: a case in which cancer is detected early, it is treated and the person goes on to have good life expectancy and outcomes. For me, he is an example of where we should be.
On world pancreatic cancer day, let us honour those whom we have lost, thank those who are still fighting and pledge to do the very best that we can to ensure a brighter future so that those who are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer will be able to seek treatment and tackle their cancer.
13:01
I am grateful to Clare Adamson for bringing the debate to the chamber and I thank her for doing so.
I am delighted to hear Miles Briggs’s update on John Scott. Those of us who had the pleasure of serving in the Parliament with Mr Scott all have enormous affection for him, despite political differences. Through Mr Briggs, I pass on my best wishes.
I thank the charities, survivors and family members for their work to keep the spotlight on the condition not only during pancreatic cancer awareness month but year round.
I was keen to speak at the request of a number of constituents who have been in contact with me asking if I would do so, because it enables me to mention their experience and allow their voices to be heard in the debate.
One constituent told me of losing her father to pancreatic cancer last year. The diagnosis came too late, as it often does, which gave him no chance. She told me of the devastation that that understandably caused her and her family. I was able to correspond with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care and raise some of the issues in the family’s experience of engaging with the national health service for his treatment. I was grateful for the response that the cabinet secretary sent me.
Another constituent spoke of losing her brother and yet another wrote to me to say that they themselves have, sadly, been diagnosed and described the obvious impact that that has had on them.
I send each of those constituents my best wishes. It is for them that I speak in the debate. For too many people, including too many of my constituents, this is a deeply personal debate on a disease that has a sudden and traumatic impact on their lives. I am sure that we will be united—we have already heard that—in pushing for more awareness, more research and earlier diagnosis and treatment for the condition.
The reality is that pancreatic cancer remains one of the less survivable cancers. It is a tough disease to diagnose and treat. Too many people are diagnosed only once symptoms have become severe and, by that stage, treatment options can be limited. The challenge for any health service is that a delay in diagnosis or treatment can prove fatal.
However, those challenges also point us to where we can make a difference as policy makers by improving early detection. I welcome the Scottish Government’s detect cancer early programme, which takes a whole-systems approach to early detection that encompasses primary care, diagnostics, public education, data, innovation and screening. The new rapid cancer diagnostic services—including one in the NHS Lanarkshire area in which my and Ms Adamson’s constituencies are located—are a further addition to how cancer can be diagnosed.
Clare Adamson’s motion rightly points out the need for further research on pancreatic cancer as, at the moment, it receives only around 3 per cent of the United Kingdom cancer research budget. Not only should we consider whatever means are at our disposal and open to us to increase that percentage and the overall spending on cancer research, but, collectively, we must ensure that our excellent, world-class research institutions are able to attract the fullest range of international research funding and that international researchers know that they are welcome to come here to contribute to that effort.
I welcome what will be a consensual debate, given the broad consensus that we have on matters such as the importance of early diagnosis, greater research and the steps that the Government is taking to improve pathways for patients who might need treatment. I look forward to hearing from the minister what more is being done to improve outcomes for patients with pancreatic cancer in Scotland.
I conclude by thanking my constituents who took the time to contact me about their experiences, whether as a patient or as the loved one of a patient, ahead of today’s debate. It is not easy for people to talk about their own ill health or the loss of a loved one, and I am grateful to them for sharing their experiences with me.
Thank you, Mr Hepburn. I very much echo your comments in relation to John Scott.
13:05
I, too, thank Clare Adamson for bringing the debate to the chamber, and for all the work that she has done on pancreatic cancer over this session of Parliament.
I am glad that the Parliament is once again marking pancreatic cancer awareness month and highlighting the importance of greater awareness and timely diagnosis. I welcome the opportunity to contribute—I think that I have contributed in each of the previous annual debates.
It is important to take a moment to reflect on the scale of the illness and the profound impact that it has on many families. Others have mentioned the statistics, so I will not go back over them, but I will say that we must always remember that catching the cancer early dramatically improves the chances of treatment and recovery. We know from the statistics that eight in 10 people are diagnosed at a late stage, which means that they are often diagnosed too late for treatment. That is a tragedy. More than 50 per cent are diagnosed in emergency settings, such as accident and emergency, despite the vast majority of patients visiting their general practitioner multiple times before being diagnosed.
For patients, recognising the symptoms of pancreatic cancer represents a first step in diagnosis, especially in the absence of the early detection tests that others have mentioned. Symptoms can be vague, which can make the cancer really difficult to spot, so the public awareness campaigns that are run by charities and organisations to support early detection are crucial. I, too, thank the various organisations that do that work, and those that have contacted me ahead of today’s debate for their work and for all the helpful briefings. The briefings show the scale of the problem and the challenge ahead; they also show us what we have to work towards.
Other members have mentioned the importance of research and the related challenges and barriers, as well as the important tests that can detect the disease. We need all that work to come together so that we can improve survival rates. I noticed that, in the past 15 years, the five-year survival rate has increased from 3 per cent to 7 per cent. It has not moved at pace, but it shows that we can make a difference by working together, including with other nations.
Before closing, I will take a moment, as I often do, to reflect on health inequalities and their impact on outcomes for our constituents. We know that the detection of cancer in our more deprived communities can be very difficult. In those areas, people interact with health services in a very different way, and we have a responsibility to raise this issue time and again. The latest Public Health Scotland data revealed that the incidence of all cancers was 24 per cent greater in the most deprived areas compared with the least deprived areas. Often, that is about early detection and supporting people to get the right advice at the right time.
In previous debates, I have warned about the impact of health inequalities on some of our most vulnerable communities and called for urgent action in that regard. We must do more to empower our communities to speak to healthcare professionals when they need help, and to ensure that a clear and understandable plan is put in place to address any inequalities that people might face.
I thank the guests in the gallery for their attendance and all the members who have contributed to the debate.
13:10
I am grateful to my colleague Clare Adamson for bringing this important debate to the chamber during pancreatic cancer awareness month to mark today’s world pancreatic cancer day.
Since being elected in 2021, I have spoken in all the debates that my colleagues Clare Adamson and Willie Coffey have brought to the chamber on this topic—it is one on which I will always speak up. I extend my sincere thanks to the amazing charities, such as Pancreatic Cancer Action and Pancreatic Cancer UK, to the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce and to other dedicated organisations. I welcome them all here today. They are at the forefront of raising awareness and fighting for better outcomes for those with pancreatic cancer, and I thank them for that.
Unfortunately, pancreatic cancer is the deadliest common cancer and is often referred to as a “silent killer”, because its early symptoms are difficult to spot. As has been mentioned, around 900 people in Scotland are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year, with most being diagnosed too late for effective treatment. Sadly, half of those who are diagnosed with that deadly disease will die within three months and 93 per cent will die within five years.
Those extremely low survival rates are largely due to late-stage diagnosis and limited access to robust diagnostic and treatment resources. That is why I reiterate the common symptoms for the benefit of anyone who is listening: the whites of the eyes, or the skin, turning yellow; itchy skin; darker pee; poo that is paler than usual; loss of appetite; losing weight without trying to; feeling tired or having no energy; and having a high temperature or feeling hot or shivery.
It is vital that we push for long-term investment in research to ensure that we can beat those low survival rates. Currently, pancreatic cancer receives only 3 per cent of UK research funding. More investment and time are needed so that we can ensure fast identification of those who have pancreatic cancer.
We can all agree that more must be done, because this remains one of the deadliest forms of cancer. However, despite those challenges, advances have been made. According to the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce, Scotland is leading the way on such cancers by identifying them as a strategic priority in the 10-year cancer strategy. If we can translate that into action that results in earlier and faster diagnosis, I hope that we will see significant improvements.
I also welcome the Scottish Government provision of funding from April 2022 to March 2024 for the then pancreatic cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma pathway improvement project. According to Pancreatic Cancer Action, the data from the project has been encouraging and improvements have been demonstrated.
Where do we go from here? Given that time really is of the essence for those who have this cruel and devastating disease, it is crucial that we support and get input from those with lived experience and expertise. As stated by Pancreatic Cancer Action, it is essential that the work and learning from developing and delivering the pancreatic cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma pathway and the Scottish hepato-pancreato-biliary service are incorporated and built on as fast as possible. We must ensure that we focus on the next steps and urgently consider how the benefits demonstrated can be delivered as a priority.
Finally, I pay tribute to my constituents who have, sadly, lost their lives because of pancreatic cancer. Helen, Donald, Billy and Christine will forever be missed by family, friends and loved ones, but they will never be forgotten, and that applies to many others, too. We must work together in their memory to do everything that we can to raise awareness of that disease and to save lives.
Again, I thank Clare Adamson for bringing the debate the chamber.
13:14
I am grateful to Clare Adamson for securing this important debate, which marks world pancreatic cancer day during pancreatic cancer awareness month.
It is not the first time that I have spoken on this subject in the chamber. As deputy convener of the cross-party group on brain tumours and a member of the cross-party group on cancer, I have always maintained that raising awareness of all cancers is vitally important. As MSPs, we are privileged to have not just the opportunity but the duty to raise awareness.
At this point in the debate, there will always be repetition of statistics, but I make no apology, because highlighting them is so important. Pancreatic cancer is one of the six less survivable cancers and is known as a “silent killer”, because its early symptoms are difficult to spot. The grim reality is that only one in four people diagnosed survives more than a year. In Scotland, survival rates remain among the worst in Europe—we are 35th out of 36 comparable countries—and that is unacceptable.
Around 900 people are diagnosed in Scotland each year, and more than 10,500 across the UK. Tragically, half of those who are diagnosed in Scotland will die within three months and 93 per cent within five years. With incidence rising, pancreatic cancer deaths could soon overtake breast cancer deaths.
One of the major areas of concern is improving pathways for people with pancreatic and liver cancer. Scotland has been leading the way through the then—this is where I get tongue-tied—pancreatic and hepatocellular carcinoma pathway improvement project, whose work was peer reviewed and published in the European Journal of Surgical Oncology. The project has delivered statistically significant improvements across all seven key performance indicators for pancreatic cancer, reducing staging times and improving communication. It proved that expedited diagnostic pathways save lives. However, that service was closed—twice.
We cannot afford to lose momentum. The Scottish Government must act faster, by building on what has worked rather than starting from scratch. Late diagnosis remains a critical factor in influencing outcomes. We need urgent action now, and we need earlier and faster diagnosis, quicker pathways and greater investment in research. Lives depend on that. There is hope. Scotland is working on a national optimal diagnostic pathway for HPB cancers, but time is of the essence. Pancreatic cancer is different—it moves fast, and every delay costs lives.
Previously, I raised awareness of a major problem in Dumfries and Galloway, which was the lack of hospice care. With around 1,200 new cancer diagnoses in D and G each year, the need for accessible, compassionate support has never been greater. That is why I supported efforts to establish a Maggie’s centre in Dumfries, which is the home town of the charity’s founder, Maggie Keswick Jencks. Earlier this year, I was delighted to hear the announcement that a new cancer support centre will be housed locally. That is a giant step forward, because Maggie’s centres across the country are renowned for their holistic approach to cancer care, and having one in Dumfries will make a profound difference to those who live locally.
Returning to pancreatic cancer, the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce recommends that the Scottish HPB cancer service should become a national initiative, not a regional model. I fully support that, as I did last year.
As I stated in my members’ business debate on rural healthcare yesterday, equity is essential in healthcare. In this instance, equity of access is key—ensuring uniform care across all regions, including Dumfries and Galloway.
Education must be one of the most powerful weapons. Raising awareness is critical, not just for early detection but for improving patient experience and outcomes. I will repeat the symptoms: yellowing of the skin or eyes; darker urine; paler stools; itchy skin; loss of appetite or unexplained weight loss; fatigue; lack of energy; and a high temperature or feeling hot and shivery.
Regrettably, our understanding of the disease is limited, but we know that smoking, obesity and family history increase risks.
Many of us have lost family and friends to pancreatic cancer. Today, on world pancreatic cancer day, once again, I will take the opportunity to remember my pals, Mark Caygill and Peter Murray Usher. This is the most difficult part of any speech—it is not about stats. They were taken far too young. The man who was my mentor, a dear friend and the person who is ultimately responsible for me being here in this place today, is a former Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, Sir Alex Fergusson, who died of cancer only a few months after retiring.
This is Scotland’s deadliest common cancer, so we cannot accept the status quo. We must act urgently, collectively and decisively, because lives depend on it.
Willie Coffey is the final speaker in the open debate.
13:19
I thank my colleague Clare Adamson for again raising awareness of pancreatic cancer. I have tried to participate in the debate on the subject each year in which I have been a member of the Parliament and in memory of my mother, who died from the disease in 1985—some 40 years ago—at the age of only 52. Although it remains one of the most stubborn cancers, progress is being made, with the emphasis on early detection of the vague symptoms that it presents. This will be the last time that I make such a contribution, but I will look in next year to hear the debate and to continue my support for the work that is being done to battle the cancer.
I am grateful to Pancreatic Cancer UK for its briefing. Among the stats and information that it provided, one thing stood out for me—that 80 per cent of people with pancreatic cancer are diagnosed too late. Some members have mentioned that. I hope that that frightening statistic will alert the public to take seriously some of the vague symptoms that can appear. Early detection and diagnosis hold the key to more treatment options and lead to better survival rates.
Clare Adamson and other members have described those vague symptoms, and we need to repeat them—it is always worth doing that. Unexplained weight loss, indigestion, stomach and back pain, new-onset diabetes and even yellowing of the skin have already been mentioned by members, but we have to get that message through to the public. Folk should visit their GP to begin the process of being checked out if they experience those symptoms. Interestingly, around one in five people over the age of 60—as I am—will already have a pancreatic cyst, but only a small percentage of those will develop into pancreatic cancer.
I will take a brief look at some of the research that is going on. At the University of Glasgow, there is work being done to identify the features of higher-risk cysts in order to help doctors make the important treatment decisions. At the University of Liverpool, a test has been developed to identify type 3c diabetes, which may be an early indicator and an early warning sign. As Clare Adamson mentioned, Imperial College London is developing a breath test—a world first—that GPs could perform directly, after which they could make further referrals if need be. At the University of Essex, a new blood test is being developed that can help with early detection. Those are just a few examples of the fantastic work that is going on, which I hope will make a real difference to survival rates from the cancer.
We hear that family inheritance also plays a part. One in 10 cases are connected with inheritance. Even more work is being done on that, through the family history checker. I wish that some of that work had been funded 40 years ago.
I turn to some asks of the Government—basically, that it offers more support for diagnostic capacity across Scotland. If we are alerting the public to issues and conditions that may be a cause for concern, we need to provide people with easy, localised access to get the help that they might need. We need a centralised service to co-ordinate the family inheritance effort and to identify high-risk individuals across multiple cancer types.
Perhaps, in this day and age, we also need a wee bit more help from artificial intelligence, with the analytics and data analysis that are making great strides in medical science elsewhere. I know that the universities of Strathclyde and Glasgow are deploying AI techniques in their research, and I wish them good luck with that work. I wish all who are engaged in the research the very best of luck, and I ask the Scottish Government to help as best we can to support the research that might help us to begin to win the battle against pancreatic cancer.
Lastly, I thank my colleague Clare Adamson for again bringing the issue to the attention of the Scottish people, through their Parliament.
13:23
I thank my colleague Clare Adamson for bringing the motion to the chamber today and reminding us of the impact that pancreatic cancer can have. I took part in debates on the subject as a back bencher, because I recognise the importance of raising awareness.
I also thank Pancreatic Cancer Action, Pancreatic Cancer UK and others for their continued efforts in raising awareness of pancreatic cancer and supporting people and their loved ones who are facing that diagnosis. I, too, welcome those organisations to the Scottish Parliament today.
I thank my colleagues in the chamber for sharing such valuable contributions to the debate. Like Jamie Hepburn and other members, I have been contacted by constituents, in Argyll and Bute, and I have heard from families who are grieving the loss of a loved one through pancreatic cancer. I thank them for their courage in sharing their stories, with the heartfelt aim of improving knowledge and awareness.
Pancreatic cancer awareness month comes as a stark reminder to us all of the dreadful impact that a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer can have. The outcomes are typically poor, and we must significantly improve that situation at pace. I thank Marie McNair and Finlay Carson for describing the symptoms so clearly in their contributions. Willie Coffey and Finlay Carson are both absolutely right that we, as MSPs, are privileged to be able to help raise awareness.
The Scottish Government’s ambitious 10-year “Cancer Strategy for Scotland 2023-2033”, which was published in 2023, makes clear our determination to improve cancer survival rates. Our earlier cancer diagnosis vision underpins our investment in a range of programmes that are aimed at supporting early diagnosis, which will help us to improve survival rates. It includes publishing the refreshed Scottish referral guidelines for suspected cancer, which support primary care clinicians in recognising the symptoms that may indicate cancer, including pancreatic cancer. The guidelines include, for the first time, criteria for non-specific symptoms; that is especially important for pancreatic cancer, as its early signs can be subtle and easily missed.
As Jamie Hepburn noted, we launched Scotland’s sixth rapid cancer diagnostic service this year. Those services are diagnosing cancer faster for those with non-specific symptoms. An independent evaluation by the University of Strathclyde found that hepato-pancreato-bili—it is my turn to get it wrong; I will just say HPB—cancers made up 17 per cent of the cancers that were found. I note the valuable work of all those involved in pilot projects to speed up the time from referral to diagnosis and treatment for patients with HPB cancers. Those involved have a key role in making it clear that we must do more for patients with pancreatic cancer across the whole cancer care pathway, not just part of it.
As Carol Mochan noted, collaboration is important. That is why we commissioned the Scottish HPB network to take forward the consensus and develop national recommended pathways for HPB cancers. The SHPBN has started to develop the clinical management pathway for those cancers, which will promote equitable routes to cancer care across Scotland, with patients at the centre. The network has also provided its clinical consensus on what optimal diagnosis for patients should look like to the centre for sustainable delivery, for use in its delivery of the upper gastrointestinal optimal diagnostic pathway, which will include HPB cancers. Those pieces of work will both be delivered in 2026.
As members have said, a pancreatic cancer diagnosis is devastating for those who are diagnosed and for their loved ones. I cannot stress enough the importance of person-centred care, to ensure that all patients get access to support throughout their cancer journey and that their voices and needs are heard.
The Scottish Government continues to support and invest in our single-point-of-contact pilots. Those aim to ensure that all patients have a point of contact to support them in navigating their cancer care, thereby improving shared decision making between the individual and their clinical teams and access to timely reporting of results. It has been found that the single-point-of-contact pilots have had more than 30,000 patient interactions, freeing up more than 3,970 hours of clinical nurse specialist time and improving experiences. We are actively considering how we best scale up that approach in order to benefit all patients with cancer in Scotland.
Through the transforming cancer care programme, the Scottish Government is working in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support to improve the service that we offer patients with cancer. That partnership is worth £27 million and is the first of its kind in the UK. From April 2024 to March 2025, more than 6,000 people across Scotland were supported through the programme by a specialist key worker, who signposted them to emotional, financial and practical support. That includes considering what local community assets and support services are available. I recognise Carol Mochan’s points about inequalities, and I believe that this service goes some way towards alleviating those.
We have taken important steps to improve care for people at every stage of their journey. This autumn, we published the “Palliative Care Matters for All” strategy, alongside refreshed national guidelines and new training resources to support those who deliver care.
I, too, would like to reflect on the positive news that Finlay Carson mentioned about the Maggie’s centre in Dumfries and Galloway, which makes a profound difference to those living with cancer and their families. We are working to strengthen bereavement support, where required, and to ensure that spiritual care is not just available but truly embedded in everyday practice.
Investment in our understanding of pancreatic cancer is key to the ability to prevent, identify and treat it. Our strategy makes clear the importance of research to our strategic aim of improving cancer survivability and providing excellent equitably accessible care to patients in Scotland. The Scottish Government’s chief scientist office directly funds research projects and fellowships. Last year, we committed more than £620,000 to fund two research projects at the University of Glasgow. The first project is looking at cells in pre-cancerous lesions that are at high risk of progressing to pancreatic cancer, and the second is looking at how cancer cells and immune cells interact in a way that can affect responses to initial chemotherapy. Our chief scientist office will continue to work with the University of Glasgow as the research progresses.
I want to make clear the Scottish Government’s enduring commitment to improving pancreatic cancer outcomes and supporting the importance of raising awareness. In doing so, we can improve early diagnosis rates as well as patient experience and overall outcomes. I look forward to seeing flashes of purple in support of pancreatic cancer awareness month, which will include lighting up the Scottish Government buildings St Andrew’s house and Victoria Quay tomorrow.
I thank everyone for their contributions and I especially thank the charities that are in the Parliament today. I hope that we can move to improve outcomes for patients with pancreatic cancer.
That concludes the debate.
13:32 Meeting suspended.Previous
First Minister’s Question Time