Patient delays as health board cannot meet target

NHS bosses have admitted they cannot meet waiting time targets and patients not deemed ‘urgent’ enough will face long delays.

Doctors have begun prioritising the most serious cases for surgery because the NHS cannot meet treatment deadlines.

The move is in direct breach of the 12-week timescale set by the Scottish Government, which is supposed to be enshrined in law.

But officials have admitted they are ‘unable’ to meet the target and are now classifying patients in order to ‘maintain safety’.

The problems have emerged in NHS Grampian, but hospitals across the country are also failing to meet the deadline.

Last night, critics said the revelation left the SNP’s pledge on waiting times in ‘tatters’.

NHS Grampian cancelled routine operations this year because of a shortage of theatre nurses.

It has now unveiled a ‘theatre transformation programme’ amid growing struggles to hit waiting time targets.

NHS Grampian has some of the worst waiting times in Scotland – but overall boards’ performance has slumped.

Across Scotland, only 86.7 per cent of patients were seen within the 12-week target in December, compared to 95.3 per cent a year earlier. In December 2016, just 79.7 per cent of patients in Grampian were treated within the target.

Now it will prioritise the ‘most urgent patients’ and make those who are less urgent wait longer.

Yesterday, the board admitted patients would be disappointed but said it was necessary.

Nicola Sturgeon brought in the 12-week treatment time guarantee when she was Health Secretary in 2011. The move was enshrined in law which meant boards were legally compelled to comply – but there are no sanctions for failing to do so.

NHS boards have breached the target for tens of thousands of patients since it was first introduced.

Scottish Conservative health spokesman Donald Cameron said: ‘This admission from NHS Grampian leaves the SNP pledge on waiting times in tatters.

‘The Scottish Government has imposed these targets right across the country without ever offering sufficient resources for them to be met. It proves the SNP cannot be trusted to make a decent fist of running our NHS.’

NHS Grampian said it could not estimate how much longer patients would wait.

A spokesman said: ‘NHS Grampian is currently unable to see all elective surgical patients within the 12-week timescale.

‘Our first priority is to ensure the most urgent patients get treated promptly.

‘Therefore we are in the process of implementing an elective classification system to ensure those patients waiting longer are those clinically most able to do so. We realise this will be disappointing news for those patients classed as able to wait longer.’

A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘NHS Grampian has been in contact with us on this matter and we continue to work with the health board to ensure all patients are seen in a timely manner based on their condition.’