Blood cancer is Scotland’s third biggest cancer killer taking more than 1,100 lives in a year
Scotland
Blood Cancer UK’s new manifesto for Scotland, launched ahead of the 2026 Scottish Parliament elections, warns that blood cancer takes over 1,100 lives a year in Scotland. It also warns that 128,000 potential years of life from people in Scotland have been lost over a decade.
The manifesto calls on the next Scottish Government to commit to fully funding and delivering the existing 10-year cancer strategy in full, take urgent action to fix the blood cancer workforce crisis, speed up diagnosis and ensure everyone can access the life-saving treatments they need.
Blood cancer includes leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma, MDS and MPNs and is Scotland’s third biggest cancer killer.
Blood cancer doesn’t just take lives, it takes your energy, your sleep, and your plans...
- Helen Rowntree, Blood Cancer UK CEO
Shockingly, new data presented in the manifesto finds that in Scotland, blood cancer took 1,150 lives in 2022 – the year with the latest figures available. Yet, despite its devastating impact, blood cancer continues to be overlooked by Scottish governments, and is left out of many national cancer priorities, plans and performance measures.
Our Chief Executive's take
"Blood cancer doesn’t just take lives, it takes your energy, your sleep, and your plans, but at Blood Cancer UK we also know what it takes to beat it. Leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma and other blood cancers continue to be overlooked by Scottish governments, and with this manifesto, we’re calling on the next Scottish Government to deliver, fund, and implement the Cancer Strategy in full. They must fix the workforce crisis in haematology, speed up diagnosis and make sure people across Scotland can access the same life-saving treatments and trials as anywhere else in the UK.”
Helen Rowntree, CEO of Blood Cancer UK
Blood cancer is the fifth most common cancer in Scotland, and people affected by blood cancer in Scotland shaped the manifesto, outlining the urgent priorities for the next government, including:
- Tackling the haematology workforce crisis.
- Ensuring faster, fairer diagnosis for non-stageable cancers like blood cancer.
- Investing in genomic medicine and better data collection.
- Improving access to new treatments and clinical trials.
- Building stronger NHS - charity partnerships to provide better patient support.
Access to treatment and diagnosis remains some of the biggest challenges facing people with blood cancer in Scotland. Around one in three blood cancer patients are diagnosed in A&E, and many patients face postcode inequalities, long waits, and limited access to genomic testing that could help personalise their treatment.
What did our community say
"Like many people with blood cancer, my diagnosis came out of the blue, and from the start I saw how stretched the blood cancer workforce is here in Scotland. I went years without seeing the same consultant twice, and I didn’t even know what a clinical nurse specialist was because there simply wasn’t adequate cover. Living with a rare blood cancer – MPN - means I’ve had conflicting advice, and your experience can depend entirely on your postcode, and that’s not good enough. Getting the right treatment or genomic test could change your life, but there’s huge barriers to accessing these in Scotland. Blood cancer is a hidden disability, and the mental toll of uncertainty and feeling unheard is huge. We need a system where people aren’t fighting for access or seeing delays in their diagnosis, where Scotland backs the treatments and the workforce we rely on, no matter where we live.”
Vicky Farquhar, 41, from Bathgate, West Lothian, who helped shape the manifesto.
Speaking about access to treatments, Helen Rowntree, Blood Cancer UK’s CEO, said:
“In Scotland, we’re seeing life-saving treatments being approved but not reaching everyone who needs them. Scotland has the expertise and the infrastructure to lead the way in blood cancer care, but only if the incoming Government acts. Every delay costs lives; Scotland can’t afford to lose out.”
Want to get involved?
If you’re affected by blood cancer and want to support the development of our policy work where you live, we’d encourage you to join our Policy Collective via our Involvement Network and sign up to our newsletter to keep in touch with our work.
