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Waiting times statistics
27/11/2007
Official statistics published today show that virtually all patients in Scotland waiting for key diagnostic tests are now being seen within nine weeks of referral, effectively delivering on an end-2007 target ahead of schedule.
They also show that at the end of September this year, only 124 patients had waited more than nine weeks for eight key diagnostic tests, compared to more than 10,000 in July last year.
The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing Nicola Sturgeon today welcomed this progress. She also praised Boards for halving the number of patients on hidden waiting lists (Availability Status Codes) in the past year. Hidden waiting lists will be abolished from December 31.
Today's statistics also show:
- Hidden Waiting Lists (ASCs) at an all-time low, the 16,745 figure being down 8,182 (33 per cent) on last quarter and down 17,196 (51 per cent) on a year ago
- 97 per cent of patients attending A&E during September spent less than four hours between arrival and admission, transfer or discharge, the highest ever recorded performance and on track to meet the end-year 98 per cent target
- No patient with a guarantee waiting more than six months for inpatient and day care treatment
Commenting on the statistics, Nicola Sturgeon said:
"Waiting for a diagnostic test can be one of the most worrying times for a patient. It is vital that the NHS does all it can to speed up this process and reduce the anxiety for patients and their families.
"In summer 2006, more than 10,000 patients had to wait more than nine weeks for diagnostic tests across eight key testing areas.
"Great progress has been made since then, and today's figures for the end of September show a massive reduction to only 124 patients waiting more than nine weeks, which will become the national waiting time standard from the end of this year. This means that NHS Scotland has effectively delivered on its nine week target ahead of the end-December deadline date.
"This is very positive progress on patient waiting times ahead of a number of tough new maximum targets coming into force at the end of next month. This will include our pledge to abolish hidden waiting lists (Availability Status Codes).
"Today's figures show that Boards continue to make excellent progress in reducing the number of patients on hidden waiting lists, hitting an all-time low of 16,745 patients at the end of September, a reduction of more than half in what the total was a year earlier, and a drop of a 33 per cent on the last quarter.
"From January, the NHS will introduce important changes in the way waiting times will be measured which will be more transparent, consistent and fair, and will ensure that patients previously excluded are covered by national waiting time targets."
On the general inpatient/day case treatment and outpatient waiting lists, Ms Sturgeon said that progress was good, and that isolated issues were being dealt with as a matter of urgency. She said:
"The number of patients waiting more than 18 weeks for an outpatient appointment is down 25 per cent on the 2006 equivalent, and I am confident that Boards will deliver on the 18-week maximum wait target which will come into force at the end of this year."
The eight key diagnostic tests are upper gastrointestinal endoscopy/gastroscopy; lower gastrointestinal endoscopy/sigmoidoscopy; colonoscopy; cystoscopy; magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); computed tomography (CT); barium studies/fluoroscopy; and non-obstetric ultrasound examinations.