Scottish Government Pledges £25.5m to Reduce NHS Waiting Times

The Scottish government, led by First Minister John Swinney, has announced an additional £25.5 million in funding to reduce NHS waiting times, bringing the total extra investment to £135.5 million for 2025/26. This funding aims to increase outpatient appointments and inpatient/day case procedures across various specialties, including orthopaedics, dermatology, general surgery, gynaecology, cardiology, and paediatrics. While the number of patients waiting over a year has decreased, waits longer than two and three years for outpatient treatment have risen, indicating ongoing challenges. Swinney expressed optimism, highlighting recent progress in reducing overall waiting lists and longer waits, but acknowledged that more work remains. The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh welcomed the funding but called for greater use of national treatment centres to efficiently address high-volume, lower-complexity procedures. Despite these efforts, approximately one in nine Scots remain on NHS waiting lists, underscoring the persistent demand on the health system.