More than 60,000 waiting longer than a year for outpatient treatment – figures

There are still more than 60,000 Scots waiting more than a year for outpatient treatment on the NHS, the latest figures show.

At the end of 2024 there were 62,291 waits which had been ongoing for over one year, an increase of 46.2% compared with December 31 2023.

However the figure saw a slight decrease of 1.2% in the final quarter of 2024.

The long waits position has deteriorated since the targets were introduced

Meanwhile waits of longer than two years rose sharply in the final three months of the year – up by 25.8% to 4,655.

Public Health Scotland’s (PHS) data showed there were a total of 563,641 waits ongoing as of December 31 2024, some 4.9% higher than the previous year.

A PHS report noted the steep year-on-year increase in long waits.

It said: “None of the planned care targets set by the SG for waits over 52, 78 and 104 weeks were met.

“In fact, the long waits position has deteriorated since the targets were introduced in July 2022.

“The SG have recently pledged that no patient will wait longer than 52 weeks by the end of March 2026.”

The Scottish Conservatives say that when waits for new outpatient appointments, treatment for inpatient appointments and waiting for diagnostic testing are combined there are 854,867 Scots on waiting lists.

However the Government disputes this interpretation as it may include double counting.

Scottish Conservative health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane said: “These staggering figures show the NHS backlog is still spiralling out of control on the SNP’s watch.

“It is particularly scandalous that the number of patients suffering waits of over a year or longer is continuing to increase, which is a completely intolerable situation facing tens of thousands of Scots.

“These terrifying waiting times impact both the physical and mental wellbeing of many patients who feel abandoned by successive SNP health secretaries.

“Our NHS is on life support under the SNP. Humza Yousaf’s flimsy Covid recovery plan and the strategies from his successors simply haven’t cut it.”

Responding to the figures, Health Secretary Neil Gray said: “It is encouraging and indeed a testament to our hardworking NHS staff that the latest statistics show improvements in new outpatient, diagnostic and inpatient / day case waiting times performance.

“By March 2026, we expect no-one to wait longer than 12 months for a new outpatient appointment, inpatient treatment or day case treatment with more than 150,000 extra patients seen as a result.”

He added: “Significant activity is now under way following an additional investment of £30 million which is being targeted at a series of national and local plans to reduce the national backlogs that built up throughout the pandemic by maximising the use of local and national resources across Scotland.

“To the end of January, Boards are reporting delivery of 75,500 against a plan of 64,000 appointments and procedures.”