SNP’s ‘day of shame’ after waiting times hit a new high
Thousands not treated in 12 weeks
WAITING times for NHS treatment have soared to a record high under the SNP, according to ‘shameful’ new figures.
Fewer and fewer patients are being treated within 12week targets, and in some areas almost half are not being seen on time, a report shows.
NHS figures for December show almost 10,000 patients waited more than 12 weeks for inpatient or day case treatment. More than 75,000 waited above 12 weeks for an outpatient appointment and more than 9,000 waited more than six weeks for crucial diagnostic tests.
Scottish Labour health spokesman Anas Sarwar said: ‘This is a day of shame for the SNP and their mismanagement of our health service.
‘The SNP is sleepwalking into an NHS crisis and is in complete denial about its negligence of our most valued public service.
‘The latest figures show even more patients are being let down under the SNP – the party in charge of our health service for a decade.’
The Scottish Government has set a 12-week Treatment Time Guarantee for the health service but performance is plummeting.
The target is supposed to be legally binding but in December only 86.7 per cent of patients were treated within the deadline, compared to 97.1 per cent two years ago.
In the poorest performing board, NHS Lanarkshire, only
‘Sleepwalking into NHS crisis’
72.7 per cent of patients were seen in the 12-week target.
Across Scotland, the number of patients waiting more than 12 weeks for outpatient appointments has soared from 22,758 two years ago to 75,028 at the end of last year.
Only 75.8 per cent of outpatients were seen within the target, compared to 87.6 per cent a year ago. NHS High- land was the worst performing area, with only 53.5 per cent of outpatients seen within 12 weeks.
More patients are also experiencing delays in getting key diagnostic tests, such as scans, used to detect serious diseases such as cancer.
Patients should wait no longer than six weeks for any of these, but in December this happened in only 86.1 per cent of cases.
The delays mean overall performance on a target that patients should wait no longer than 18 weeks from a GP’s referral to their treatment has also slumped from 92 per cent five years ago to 83.8 per cent in December.
The figures were released by the Scottish Government’s Information and Statistics Division. It also published figures for A&E attendances in the week ending February 19.
They show 92.9 per cent of people were seen within four hours, missing the 95 per cent target.
Professor Derek Bell, chair of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and Faculties in Scotland, said the figures reflected the pressures the NHS was facing.
Scottish Conservative health spokesman Donald Cameron said: ‘This is all on the SNP’s watch, and it has to explain the disastrous slump in these crucial waiting times, given it’s been running the NHS for almost a decade.’
But Health Secretary Shona Robison said: ‘We’re investing in social care and community care, with a view to keeping people healthy at home for as long as possible.
‘This will, in time, help prevent the need for many people to go to hospital.’
‘These changes won’t happen overnight but they are part of a long-term strategy.’