NHS maintenance backlog soars to more than £1.3bn, figures show

The cost of the maintenance backlog in Scotland’s NHS has risen to more than £1.3 billion, figures show.

Data released following a freedom of information request from the Scottish Conservatives shows it would take £1.335 billion to clear the maintenance waiting list, according to the Scottish Government.

The figure, which comes from April this year so may now be even higher, is an increase from £1.1 billion at the end of 2022, according to a report by Audit Scotland.

Scottish Tory health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane warned the cash required to fix the issues in the NHS estate would have to be found at the expense of other parts of the service.

“The maintenance backlog costs facing Scotland’s NHS have hit staggering levels,” he said.

“In the space of a few months, this bill has escalated by over £200 million on the SNP’s watch. These figures are a damning indictment of how the nationalists have shamefully neglected our health service over the past 17 years.

“Successive SNP health secretaries have had their eye off the ball and allowed crucial health care services to fall into a total state of disrepair, which ultimately impacts patients and staff, as well as health boards’ budgets.

“In light of these figures, it is little wonder independent auditors think the SNP have no vision for our NHS when they can’t even support its basic upkeep.

“The eye-watering sum of money that is going to be needed to tackle these maintenance costs only takes more money away from the front line, where the SNP are overseeing record waiting lists and worsening A&E waiting times.”

A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said: “If approved by Parliament, the draft Budget will provide more than £1 billion capital investment, with £140 million additional funding towards maintenance of the existing estate, essential equipment and digital replacement.

“Our commitment to renew our NHS means we will also be seeking to start the work in 2025-26 on delivering new acute facilities.

“That includes replacing Monklands Hospital, the Belford Hospital, and delivering a new Eye Pavilion elective centre in NHS Lothian, helping to reduce backlog maintenance levels when these projects are completed.”