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Waiting times targets

24/02/2009

Most health boards in Scotland have already met a forthcoming waiting time target - three months ahead of schedule.

The latest statistics, published today, show that waiting times are continuing to come down for NHS patients in Scotland. Many boards have already met upcoming targets to see patients at an outpatient clinic or admit patients as an inpatient or day case within 15 weeks.

The statistics from ISD Scotland show that, at the end of December 2008, virtually all patients (99 per cent) waiting for inpatient or day case treatment had waited less than 15 weeks.

For outpatients, 99.3 per cent of patients had been waiting less than 15 weeks.

Key points in the statistics include:

• At the end of December, for outpatients, over 99.9 per cent of patients had been waiting 18 weeks or less, while 99.3 per cent had been waiting for less than 15 weeks. This compares with 97.9 per cent in the previous quarter
• For inpatients/day cases, over 99.9 per cent of patients had been waiting 18 weeks or less, while 99 per cent had been waiting for less than 15 weeks. This is an increase from the previous quarter's figure of 98.6 per cent
• 96.7 per cent of patients attending A&E in December were admitted, discharged or treated within four hours. The national target is 98 per cent

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said:

"Driving down waiting times is vital to ensure that patients get the treatment they need as quickly as possible.

"We know that waiting for diagnosis or treatment can be an anxious time for patients and their families which is why this government has put so much emphasis on cutting waiting times and making the system as transparent as possible.

"The new targets, which all boards are expected to meet by the end of March, mean that no patient should wait more than 15 weeks for an outpatient consultation and no more than 15 weeks for inpatient or day case treatment. These are challenging targets but it's very encouraging that two thirds of the population already live in areas where their board has delivered the targets early.

"This performance demonstrates that boards are making early progress towards our 18-weeks "whole-journey" referral-to-treatment target, which is due for delivery by the end of 2011.

"Today's statistics also reveal the challenges which December's severe weather posed for A&E departments with 96.7 per cent of patients seen within the four hour target that month. But we should not underestimate the progress that has been made in this area - in March 2007, just 91.6 per cent of patients were seen within four hours of arrival at A&E."

All but three health boards - Lothian, Grampian and Ayrshire and Arran - are already effectively meeting the 15 weeks targets. The remaining boards are on schedule to meet the target by the end of March.

The whole journey waiting time target of 18 weeks from GP referral to treatment to be delivered by December 2011 was announced by the Health Secretary in June 2007. It was subsequently announced that, by the end of March 2009, the longest wait for a first outpatient appointment would be reduced to 15 weeks; the wait for diagnostic tests would be reduced to six weeks and the wait for inpatient or day case treatment would be reduced to 15 weeks.

New ways of defining and measuring waiting times came into effect on January 1, 2008 when availability status codes - the practice of hidden waiting lists - were abolished.

Further information about the new ways of collecting waiting times statistics is available on the ISD website.

Patients who are unavailable for treatment remain on the waiting list, flagged as suspended but reviewed at intervals of three months of less. They are entitled to treatment within the maximum waiting time, plus any period of unavailability.

A patient may be unavailable for medical (eg. unfit to undergo procedure) or social (eg. on holiday) reasons.

Eight key diagnostic tests are currently subject to the national standard of 95 per cent to be treated within nine weeks. These tests are upper endoscopy, lower endoscopy, colonoscopy, cystoscopy, barium studies, CT scans, MRI scans and ultrasound.

Outpatients

NHSSCOTLAND: NUMBER OF PATIENTS WHO HAD WAITED MORE THAN 15 WEEKS ON 31 MARCH, 30 JUNE, 30 SEPTEMBER AND 31 DECEMBER 2008, BY NHS BOARD OF TREATMENT.

Inpatients

NHSSCOTLAND: NUMBER OF PATIENTS WHO HAD WAITED MORE THAN 15 WEEKS ON 31 MARCH, 30 JUNE, 30 SEPTEMBER AND 31 DECEMBER 2008, BY NHS BOARD OF TREATMENT.