A year of waiting times progress

Outpatient waiting lists are down by almost 13% compared to a year ago, more people are receiving cancer treatment within target times, and long waits for operations are continuing to fall as hospital activity increases.

This progress is thanks to the dedication of our NHS staff and targeted Scottish Government investment, which has helped deliver more than 150,000 additional appointments and expand capacity through our National Treatment Centres.

We are taking steps to improve access to care closer to home, tackle delayed discharge, and make greater use of community services such as GP walk-in centres and Hospital at Home. Prevention is at the heart of our approach, with earlier diagnosis and initiatives like heart and lung MOTs helping to catch problems sooner and improve outcomes.