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Waiting times milestone set
28/10/2007
A new milestone target of a 15-week maximum wait for both outpatient consultations and hospital admissions has been introduced by the Scottish Government.
It marks the next stage in the Government's commitment to deliver a maximum whole journey from GP referral to treatment of 18 weeks by 2011.
Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said:
"We are determined to put patients at the centre of their own care, ensuring that they receive the high quality treatment they need as quickly and efficiently as possible. Central to this is our pledge to drive down maximum waiting times.
"From the end of this year, a target maximum wait of 18 weeks will be in place for outpatient appointments, and for inpatient or day case treatment. The NHS in Scotland should be commended for their work to reduce waiting times in line with these targets.
"Excellent progress has been made, but we must always strive for continuous improvement. That is why I have already announced that we will work closely with the NHS to achieve a maximum wait of 18 weeks from GP referral to treatment from December 2011. This is an ambitious target, but one which has widespread support.
"As a major first step in achieving that 18 week journey, I am announcing today that we will work with the NHS to deliver a key milestone of 15 weeks maximum wait for both outpatient consultations and hospital admissions by the end of March 2009.
"Very many patients will of course be seen, diagnosed and treated well within these maximum waits. The new targets will still, however, benefit very large numbers of Scottish patients.
"There are more than a million first outpatient appointments each year in Scotland and nearly 500,000 admissions for hospital procedures. All of these patients stand to benefit from the new targets that I am announcing today."