Patient long waits reduce for 7 months in a row - Up to £20 million made available to boards to boost progress but its tiny in the overall budget

3rd February 2026

Waiting lists continue to fall in Scotland with waits over 52 weeks reducing for 7 months in a row.

New figures from Public Health Scotland show at 31 December 2025 new outpatient waits of more than 52 weeks had reduced by 15.4% when compared to November 2025. These waits have reduced every month since July 2025 with total waits over 52 weeks down by 40.1% in that period.

The data also shows long waits for inpatient and daycase procedures have fallen every month since July 2025, with 52 week waits decreasing by 23.9% in that period.

New operation statistics also show an increase in activity in the last year - between January 2025 and December 2025 the number of operations carried out increased by 5.6% compared to the same period the year before. A total of 274,638 procedures were carried out in this period.

To further build on this progress, extra funding of up to £20 million is being made available to health boards for the current year.

Health Secretary Neil Gray said, "These latest figures show our plan is delivering for the people of Scotland and our NHS has turned a corner - we are seeing sustained progress in reducing waiting times with activity also increasing compared to last year.

"Thousands more appointments, operations and procedures are being delivered this year and we are determined to continue to build on this momentum, ensuring people receive the treatment they need as soon as possible.

"We are seeing downward trends across nearly all waiting list indicators which shows our targeted investment this year is having a real impact on people's lives. None of this would be possible without out hard-working NHS staff and I want to thank each and every one of them for the progress they are delivering."

But But But
In Scotland, NHS waiting lists remain extremely high, with tens of thousands of patients waiting over a year for treatment. Official statistics are published monthly by Public Health Scotland, but critics—including opposition parties, the BMA, and patient groups—have questioned how these figures are compiled, arguing that suspensions, exclusions, and definitional choices can make the backlog look smaller than the lived reality.

How Statistics Are Compiled
Public Health Scotland (PHS) publishes accredited monthly reports on waiting times, covering inpatients, day cases, and new outpatients.

Since July 2025, PHS has applied new NHS Scotland waiting times guidance issued by the Scottish Government in December 2023.

Patients can be "suspended" or temporarily removed from lists if they are not ready for treatment (e.g., awaiting tests, deferring surgery).

Missed appointments or administrative delays can also affect whether someone is counted.

Criticisms and Concerns
Gaming the numbers
Opposition politicians and campaigners argue that suspensions and exclusions allow ministers to claim progress while patients still wait.

Comparability issues
Different UK nations use different definitions, making cross-border comparisons difficult.

Political pressure
SNP ministers have been accused of boasting about "real and sustained progress" while A&E and elective care statistics show worsening delays.

In Context of NHS Board Budget Deficits
The £20 million announced by the Scottish Government to reduce NHS waiting lists is a relatively small sum in the wider context of NHS Scotland's finances. Health spending in Scotland is over £21 billion annually, and many health boards are running significant deficits—often tens of millions each. Critics argue that while the funding is welcome, it is unlikely to make a meaningful dent in the backlog given the scale of the problem.

NHS Scotland Finances
Annual health budget: Around £21 billion in 2025/26 .

Additional waiting list funding: £25.5 million was committed in November 2025, bringing total extra allocations to £135.5 million in 2025-26 .

Board deficits: Several NHS boards are reporting multi-million pound overspends, driven by staffing costs, agency reliance, and rising demand.

Previous commitments: In October 2023, the government announced a £300 million multi-year fund to tackle waiting lists, of which tranches have been released gradually .

Why £20 Million Looks Small
Scale mismatch: £20m is less than 0.1% of the overall health budget.

Board deficits
Some individual boards face deficits larger than this allocation, meaning the money may only cover short-term pressures.

Backlog size
Over 44,000 patients in Scotland have been waiting more than a year for treatment, so the funding equates to only a fraction of what's needed to clear such lists.

Political optics
Ministers can point to "extra funding," but opposition parties and unions argue it is symbolic rather than transformative.

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