Patients should be told latest waiting times, say Lib Dems

Patients on waiting lists should be told the average and longest waiting times for their procedure, the Scottish Liberal Democrats have said.

Party leader Alex Cole-Hamilton also called for the Scottish Government to appoint a Patients Commissioner to help direct complaints.

He said the Treatment Time Guarantee for inpatient or day case treatment within 12 weeks, first introduced in 2011, should be amended.

Under his proposal, patients would be told the average and longest waiting times in their area for the procedure they are awaiting.

Mr Cole-Hamilton said: “A decade ago, the SNP committed that patients’ treatment must start within a maximum of 12 weeks.

“This guarantee has never been worth the paper it was written on.

“It’s an act of fraud that the SNP have committed on the people of Scotland.

“We should be moving heaven and earth to cut waiting times to 12 weeks for everyone but the reality is that is nowhere near happening.”

He continued: “I believe that governments should treat people like grown-ups.

“That’s why rather than delivering letters which tell patients that their treatment should start within 12 weeks, the government should also include the average and longest waiting times in your area for your procedure. People deserve to know the reality.

“Alongside a new Patients Commissioner with the teeth to ensure rights are upheld and patients can navigate a daunting system, this would be a small step towards a system that empowers patients and allows them to plan properly and make healthcare decisions that are right for them.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “More than two million inpatients and day cases have benefited from the 12-week treatment target since it was introduced. However, the pandemic has had an impact on the length of wait for many patients.

“This is why we developed the NHS Recovery Plan, setting out plans and ambitions for the next five years, backed by more than £1 billion of funding.”