SUPPORT teams are being sent into Scotland's major health boards amid concern patients are waiting too long for cancer treatment.

The advice squads are being posted to Greater Glasgow and Clyde (GGC), Grampian, Lothian, Tayside and the Highlands after they all missed targets for controlling delays.

Former SNP health secretary Nicola Sturgeon made swifter cancer treatment one of her first priorities when she took office in 2007 and said it was "simply not good enough" the waiting times goal was still not being met the following year.

Scotland went on to meet the aim of starting treatment for 95% of patients within 62 days of an urgent hospital referral, but performance has since begun to slip. New figures released yesterday revealed the goal was missed throughout last year with 94.6% of patients treated in time during the last three months of 2013.

Patients appear to have quicker access to treatment in some health boards than others. In Tayside, where the target was being met last summer, one in 10 patients waited too long during October, November and December.

In Grampian 92% of patients were treated in time compared to 94.2% in GGC, 94.3% in Lothian and 94.7% in Highland over the same quarter.

Alex Neil, the current Health Secretary, said the Scottish Government was taking action because "the earlier cancer is detected and treated, the greater the chance of survival". He said: "While NHS Scotland provides some of the best cancer care in the world, we scrutinise waiting times performance because patients should not suffer unnecessary distress because of lengthy waits for a diagnosis or to start their treatment.

"We are monitoring on a weekly basis those health boards who are not regularly meeting the 62-day cancer standard and a support team is visiting boards to offer additional advice. I believe that this group will bring about real improvements and help health boards to ensure these key targets will be met in the future."

Neil Findlay, Scottish Labour's health spokesman, said health boards needed more resources in order to offer swifter treatment. He said: "Alex Neil thinks that sending in 'support squads' will do the job. But it's no coincidence the health board areas who are struggling the most to meet targets cover the most populated areas of the country. They need resources to help them manage the increasing demands of patient care, not an extra layer of bureaucracy."

Mr Findlay also expressed concern about the sudden rise in the number of patients queuing too long in Tayside. He said: "I would hope the health board will take a serious look at what has happened and that every effort will be made to ensure performance is improved."

More progress has been made on reducing delays for treatment for some cancers than others. Almost 99% of breast cancer patients are looked after in line with the target. For bowel cancer patients detected through routine screening programmes the figure is 92.5%.

Charity Bowel Cancer UK welcomed the introduction of support groups to help health boards meeting the target. A spokeswoman said: "Cancer waiting time targets have contributed to reducing the length of time in which a patient receives access to a diagnostic test and begins treatment.

"It is vital all health boards are meeting this target and that no patient is kept waiting longer than they need to be."