Scots health boards miss flagship targets

The health service posted its worst waiting times performance in history as politicians warned NHS Scotland is “reaching breaking point”.

Official new figures revealed record lows in two of the Scottish Government’s flagship targets for giving patients the care they need quickly.

NHS Fife failed for the 11th month in a row to meet the legal requirement of 90% of patients waiting no longer than 18 weeks to start their treatment, while IT problems meant Tayside could not even post its figure.

Anas Sarwar, Scottish Labour’s health spokesman, said the health service is “reaching breaking point due to a decade of SNP mismanagement”.

In Fife, only 81% of patients needing elective treatment, which includes inter- ventions such as cataract or hip surgery, were seen within the 18-week target (RTT) in September, which is down from 91% for the same month in 2016.

The health board’s performance in starting treatments for inpatients and day cases within three months fell to 78%, its lowest level since 2013.

However, Fife performed above the 90% target in the 12-week treatment time guarantee (TTG).

Across Courier Country, 1,776 patients were recorded in September as having to wait longer than the maximum six weeks for tests designed to detect diseases such as cancer.

Gregor McNie, for Cancer Research UK in Scotland, said: “Waiting to find out if you do or don’t have cancer can be an incredibly anxious time, and it’s unacceptable that some people are having to wait so long for tests.”

Health Secretary Shona Robison said they have made an extra £50m available to health boards since the spring.

She said health bosses have “assured us that this funding is already reducing excessively long waits”.

An extra £50m funding is already reducing excessively long waits SHONA ROBISON