NHS Tayside wait times at record high

Patients waiting more than 12 and 16 weeks for treatment from NHS Tayside have reached a record high, despite a national law guaranteeing treatment within three months.

Just over 3,000 inpatients in Tayside waited more than 12 weeks for treatment in the last three months of 2019, compared to just three in the same period in 2012.

More than 11,000 outpatients were waiting three months, compared to 70 in 2012. Outpatient numbers waiting 16 weeks reached 8,408 in the last quarter, up from 37 in 2012.

The Scottish Government introduced legislation stating from October 2018, patients waiting for hospital treatment – either as an inpatient or a day case – should not have to wait longer than 84 days.

North East MSP Bill Bowman said: “These figures are an utter disaster for the SNP Government, which is simply failing NHS Tayside and its staff, who are clearly at breaking point.

“The health board is being driven

further into the red by spending on agency staff due to severe staffing issues, which are clearly having an effect on patient care and waiting times.

“Years of neglect has resulted in these issues and more help and focus must now be given to improve this worrying situation at NHS Tayside.”

In Fife, 328 inpatients waited more than 12 weeks for treatment in the last three months of 2019, along with 1,053 outpatients, and 300 outpatients waited more than 16 weeks.

Health spokesman Alex ColeHamilton said: “This government has now broken the first minister’s own legally-binding guarantee more than 270,000 times, causing additional unnecessary pain and distress to patients and their loves ones.”

A spokesperson for NHS Tayside said: “Improving waiting times for the people of Tayside is a board priority.

“We acknowledge that some people are waiting longer than we would like.

“We have been reviewing our specialities with the longest waits to ensure we manage patient demand as effectively and efficiently as possible.

“We have seen a reduction in the number of people waiting over 12 weeks for inpatient and day case treatment over the past two months.

“There has also been an improvement in our performance for outpatients waiting over 12 and 16 weeks in the last year.”

These figures are a disaster