More than 7,000 people wait over two years for hospital treatment

More than 7,000 people had been waiting over two years to start hospital treatment at the end of last month, official data shows.

It comes despite the health secretary setting targets to eradicate the longest waits for routine operations.

Public Health Scotland said 142,000 people were waiting to be admitted as inpatients or day cases for things like joint replacements or cataract surgery.

Of these, around 5% had been waiting more than two years to start treatment.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said the latest figures were a "step forward" but admitted there were still challenges ahead.

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Scottish Labour said the numbers showed "nothing short of shocking incompetence from the SNP".

According to the data, the worst results were in Grampian, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Lothian. The specialty experiencing the longest wait time was orthopaedics.

The figure for waits of two years or more has seen a significant reduction since the last Public Health Scotland release on 30 June, when it stood at 10,066.

Broken down by specialties, the latest report shows:

• Thirteen of the 30 listed areas had no patients waiting.

• The remaining 17 specialties showed at least one.

• 2,152 people were waiting for an orthopaedics procedure

• 1,610 were waiting on general surgery, 1,327 in ear, nose and throat and 1,041 in urology.

The Scottish government pointed out that 18 of the specialties have fewer than 10 patients waiting two years.

Of the specialties with no patients waiting longer than two years, the figures show just one of them saw a reduction since the June statistics, with the single case in paediatrics receiving treatment.

NHS Dumfries and Galloway is the only health board in the country with no-one waiting for an inpatient procedure, while NHS Grampian (2,120) and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (1,758) had the most.

'Challenges remain'

All of Scotland's health boards have shown a reduction in the past three months, with the Glasgow board dropping by more than 1,000 patients.

Mr Yousaf said challenges over waiting times remained.

"It is through the dedication and resilience of NHS staff that we have been able to clear a significant amount of two-year inpatient waits," he said.

"This is a positive step forward in our recovery from the pandemic and will help ease pressure on the NHS over winter.

"But challenges remain and there are still unacceptable waits in orthopaedics, general surgery and urology. I am determined to provide the support necessary to drive improvements in these specialities."

Scottish Labour's Jackie Baillie said SNP neglect and not the pandemic was to blame.

She said: "Staff are working tirelessly, but this government's failure to support the NHS is putting lives at risk. We have a humanitarian crisis in our NHS and Humza Yousaf is nowhere to be seen.

"Rather than flogging his flimsy recovery plan, it's time that Mr Yousaf rolled up his sleeves and got to work before more lives are lost."

Lib Dem Scottish Affairs spokesperson Christine Jardine said: "The Health Secretary's NHS plans have seen waits for hosts of treatments worsen.

"He should apologise for allowing the Scottish NHS to grind to a halt on his watch. Patients and staff cannot carry on like this."

And Scottish Conservative Public Health spokesperson, Tess White MSP, said: "On Humza Yousaf's watch our NHS is plunging into a deeper crisis with each passing week.

"It is time for him to stop the spin and instead outline a proper plan to avoid complete chaos in our NHS this winter."