More Scottish patients than ever are waiting longer than the 12 week waiting time treatment guarantee, according to the latest statistics published today.
Figures from ISD show that almost a third of inpatients and day cases have missed the waiting time target with only 68.4% of patients being seen within 12 weeks.
That is substantially worse than December last year, when 27% of patients missed the target, and the worst since records began by almost 30 percent.
In addition, only 77 percent of patients have been seen within the 18 week referral to treatment standard, down from 79.5 percent at the end of last year and also the worst since records began.
The SNP introduced the 12-week legal commitment in 2012, but since then tens of thousands of patients have continued to miss out.
Miles Briggs, Scottish Conservative shadow health secretary said:
“This is a staggering increase in patients waiting longer than the SNP’s own supposedly legally-binding target.
“It is truly appalling that so many patients are waiting, often in pain, for such a long time to be treated.
“Guarantees given to patients by the SNP aren’t worth the paper they are written on.
“These patients will be outraged that rather than improving our health service, the SNP is, once again, campaigning for independence.
“This dreadful record shows that the SNP cannot be trusted with our NHS.”
