It may take up to a decade before Scotland can fully roll out lung cancer screening nationwide, the public health minister has said, three years after the recommendation to do so was made.
Jenni Minto said the Scottish Expert Advisory Group launched by the Government estimated it could take anywhere between seven and 10 years for a scheme to be fully set up across the country.
In 2022, the UK National Screening Committee recommended the four nations of the UK bring in targeted screening for the disease for those aged 55 to 74 who either smoke or used to.
Since then, the Scottish Government has set up a pilot programme focusing on poorer areas, which have higher rates of cancer.

In response to a question from Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton, Minto said setting up a system for the entire nation would take time.
She said complexities including resourcing and infrastructure as well as the impact it could have on the NHS, including through the result of incidental findings, mean it is unlikely to roll out until the 2030s.
The Lib Dems urged the minister to “move heaven and earth” to set up a nationwide scheme.
Cole-Hamilton pointed to Wales, where the first patients are expected to be invited to take part in screenings in 2027, and in England, where a programme is beginning to launch.

Minto said a Scotland-wide scheme would cost around £36m to set up, with annual running costs between £29m and £39m.
Earlier this month, figures from Public Health Scotland showed the number of deaths due to cancer increased 3.2% from 15,764 in 2013 to 16,265 in 2022.
Nearly a quarter (24%) of cancer deaths are due to lung cancer, with the rate more than three times higher in the most deprived areas compared with the least deprived.
The Scottish Liberal Democrats launched a petition in July calling for the Scottish Government to immediately commit to rolling out a full, nationwide screening programme for lung cancer.
Analysis by Cancer Research UK suggested such a scheme could see around 4,000 lung cancer patients in Scotland diagnosed earlier – saying that if just half of those eligible for screening came forward this could save 2,300 lives.
Cole-Hamilton said: “In Scotland, more people die of lung cancer than any other form of disease. Survival rates aren’t much better than what they were in the 1970s.

“This SNP Government should be moving heaven and earth to prevent people getting lung cancer, and catching it early when they do.
“There isn’t a moment to lose when it comes to getting cancer patients life-saving interventions.
“My party wants to see the Government ending their dithering and making a full rollout of this screening programme a top priority. If other parts of the UK can do it, why can’t we?
“I hope that the public will back our campaign and help us to fix cancer prevention, diagnosis and care.
“Together we can turn up the heat on the Scottish Government and deliver for cancer patients across Scotland.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We have already committed to a lung screening pilot which will initially concentrate on some of the most deprived areas in Scotland, as the first step to national rollout.
“We know earlier diagnosis is crucial for lung cancer. That is why Scotland published an optimal diagnostic pathway for lung cancer back in 2022, which is supported by almost £3.5m and sets ambitious timeframes for diagnosis and treatment.
“Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers being diagnosed by our Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services, which are finding cancer faster. NHS Forth Valley opened a service in May 2025, bringing our national total to six.”
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