Government to miss target to end long NHS waits, says report

The Scottish Government will miss its target on long waits for NHS treatment, a report has said.

Health Secretary Neil Gray and First Minister John Swinney said last year they aimed to rid Scotland of year-long waits by this month.

Figures published in January showed more than 50,000 open waits of 52 weeks or longer.

Despite a consistent downward trajectory, the target is unlikely to be hit when the figures up to this month are released next week – which will be in the early days of the campaign for May’s election.

A Scottish Government report released on Tuesday said the target will not be hit.

“This year there has been an increased focus on tackling the longest waits for appointments, treatment and reducing backlogs,” the report said.

“That focus is delivering progress, month on month.

“While not every patient waiting over a year will have received their appointment or treatment by the end of March 2026, we have been clear with health boards that they should communicate with those patients and set a clear timeframe of when they can expect to be seen.”

In 13 of Scotland’s 14 territorial health boards, the report said those waiting more than two years – which has more than 4,000 open waits – for treatment will be informed of their appointment date by the end of this month.

In a statement on Tuesday accompanying the report, Mr Gray said: “Our hard-working NHS staff are driving this progress and I thank them for their continued dedication. As I visit hospitals and health centres across the country I am hearing first-hand about the real impact their work is having on patients and their families.

“Our investment is supporting boards to expand Hospital at Home capacity and I am pleased to see new figures show that almost 7,200 patients were treated via the programme from November 2025 to January 2026.

“While we are delivering thousands more operations and procedures, we know there is more to do.

“Despite the incredible work we are seeing across our NHS to bring down the backlog built up with the pandemic, this report is clear about the need to drive further progress.

“I have been crystal clear with health boards my expectation that any patient who has waited over 52 weeks should be receiving communication to clearly set out the timeframe in which they can expect to be seen.”

Speaking to the Press Association earlier this month, Mr Swinney said he would stand by his Health Secretary, even if the target is missed.

Scottish Conservative health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane said the promise being broken is “shameful”, adding: “Not having to wait more than a year for treatment should never have been an ambitious pledge, but that is the reality of the SNP-run health service.

“Neil Gray and John Swinney owe all of those patients an apology. In typical SNP fashion, they have overpromised and underdelivered.

“This broken promise proves the SNP cannot be trusted with our NHS. If they get a majority in May they’ll prioritise their independence obsession above reducing waiting times.”