As reported by the BBC, the backlog of hospital appointments are at peak numbers in Scotland
The amount of patients awaiting appointments for planned operations has doubled since the pre-COVID figures with about 8000 patients having over two years of wait.
In Scotland, over 144,000 inpatients and 480,639 outpatients were in wait for admissions. The latest figures by Public Health Scotland highlighted that more than a ninth of the population were on hospital waiting lists – an increase of 88% from pre-COVID numbers.
Patients are being added to waiting lists at higher rates than they are being removed. The Scottish government has requested healthcare services to prioritise patients that have been waiting for the most time with the added clause that no patient should have a waiting time that exceeds two years.
“We know that challenges remain and some people continue to wait too long for treatment, but we are determined to continue to work with NHS boards to provide support to drive improvements across our health service,” says health secretary, Humza Yousaf.
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