Health Secretary: New targets for waiting times are ‘ambitious but achievable’

New targets to tackle lengthy waiting times for treatments are “ambitious” but are still achievable, the Health Secretary has insisted.

The Scottish Government is seeking to end two-year waits for outpatient appointments in most specialities by the end of August.

It also hopes to eliminate waits of two years or more for inpatient or day case treatment in most specialities by the end of September.

NHS statistics show that at the end of March this year, 10,613 people had been waiting two years or more for help in hospital, either as an inpatient or on a day treatment basis.

Further figures from Public Health Scotland show at that time there were 2,831 patients who had been waiting 104 weeks or longer for an outpatient appointment.

Speaking after a visit to Perth Royal Infirmary on Wednesday, Health Secretary Humza Yousaf told the PA news agency: “They are ambitious, and some targets will take months – some will take years, I’m afraid, given the pressure of the pandemic.”

He added: “For example, to reduce one-year inpatient waiting lists will take us until September 2024, so that is still ambitious, but certainly if you look at other governments across the UK, it’s roughly in line with other targets.”

Mr Yousaf said the new targets take into account the pressures being faced by Scotland’s health boards as the pandemic continues.

He told PA: “One way we’re doing this is by protecting, as best as we possibly can, elective care, so we’re making sure that it is not affected by some of the challenges in unscheduled care.

“So, creating what you might call hot and cold sites, and trying to protect elective surgery as best as we possibly can.

“It is ambitious, but I think they’re achievable.”

The targets include seeing all those who have been waiting 18 months for an outpatient appointment in most specialities by the end of December.

In addition, by the end of March 2023 it is hoped NHS staff will have seen those waiting a year or more for an outpatient appointment in most specialities.

For those waiting 18 months or more for treatment – either as an inpatient or on a day case basis – they should be seen by the end of September 2023.

It is then hoped that those who have been waiting a year or more will be seen by the end of September 2024.

Funding for the new drive to cut waiting times will come from the £1 billion allocated for the NHS under the Covid Recovery Plan.

The initiative has been welcomed by Alastair Murray, chairman of the Scottish Committee for Orthopaedics and Trauma.

He said: “Scottish orthopaedics very much welcomes the introduction of targets to address the growing number of people waiting for essential treatment.

“It is hoped that the targets set out will drive ongoing efforts to reduce waiting times for orthopaedic surgery in Scotland.”

But Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “If the Health Secretary gets his way, Scotland’s separation from the rest of the UK will happen before these waiting lists are cleared. That’s an interesting insight into the SNP’s priorities.”

Mr Cole-Hamilton added: “It’s proof of how much work there is to be done that the current ambition is to stop people waiting years for treatment.

“The SNP are wrong to devote millions of pounds and top officials to independence when the NHS is being overwhelmed and our doctors and nurses are beyond exhausted.”

Scottish Labour health spokesperson Jackie Baillie suggested the Scottish Government is “moving the goalposts in order to massage the figures”.

She said: “The facts are clear – waiting lists are soaring, A&E is in disarray and staff are burned out.

“Only substantial action to support staff will help save lives – not setting the bar lower and lower.”