This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
Listen
Report on NHS waiting times
16/02/2006
Audit Scotland today published a report into NHS waiting times highlighting "substantial progress" in tackling the longest waits.
Despite recent successes in driving down waiting times, Health Minister Andy Kerr today pledged a renewed focus to meet even tougher targets.
Mr Kerr said:
"Tremendous progress has been made in reducing long waits. That's what matters to patients, not how many others are on the list.
"We are confident that the NHS is going to deliver on its latest targets - inpatient and day case and outpatient waits of no more than six months by the end of 2005. In fact, the outpatient target looks like being achieved a year earlier than originally planned.
"But we won't rest there. Our business is to set tough targets and are already supporting the NHS to drive down waiting times further.
"By the end of 2007, maximum waiting times for outpatient consultations and inpatient/day case treatment will be be reduced even further to 18 weeks, with significantly shorter waits for heart treatment and for diagnostic procedures.
"I am very grateful to NHS staff for their hard work which has delivered benefits for many thousands of patients across the country."
The Minister also commented on Audit Scotland's other key findings.
On use of the Golden Jubilee National Hospital:
"The Golden Jubilee National Hospital has exceeded its activity targets every year since it was purchased for NHSScotland. In its last year as a private hospital, it undertook 2,500 procedures. Now it is on target to undertake ten times that figure.
On Availability Status Codes:
"Nine out of 10 Availability Status Codes are patient-driven - patients not turning up or declining admission for personal or social reasons, or patients who have a medical condition which prevents treatment. Nevertheless, we want a more transparent system, and have already made it clear that ASCs are to be abolished by the end of 2007. All NHS Boards have detailed plans in place to ensure this commitment is delivered.
Involving patients in decisions on where and when they get treated: "Patients already have a range of choice - which GP to see, which hospital to be admitted to and when, and what choices are available in their community.
"But there is a clear need for the NHS to publicise more widely the range of choices available to patients, and through initiatives such as our Patient Focussed Booking programme and the national waiting times database, we are working to make using the health service easier for everyone.
On taking a 'whole systems approach' to health care:
"We would refute any suggestion that the Executive's waiting times policy does not adopt a whole systems approach. The Executive and all parts of the NHS have been working closely together for years. It is a key part of Scotland's health policy as set out in Delivering for Health."
The six-month outpatient target was originally set for the end of 2006, as detailed in the September 2002 spending review document, "Building a Better Scotland". In 2003, the Executive revised the target date for delivery to the end of 2005.
Validated statistics for the end-2005 targets will be published by ISD Scotland on February 23, 2006.