Figures released this week revealed that the number of patients being seen within the 18 week standard for Referral to Treatment, in NHS Lothian has dropped yet again.
Latest figures for December 2018 reveal that the percentage of patients seen within the 18 week standard is now 72.1% the second lowest percentage of patients being seen within the 18 week standard after NHS Grampian, where 65.8% of patients were seen and treated within 18 weeks.
In NHS Lothian, for December 2018, there were 8,162 patient journey recorded with 3,158 of patients seen and treated taking longer than 18 weeks.
The percentage of patients seen within the 18 week standard has become less and less over the last five years, with 86.3% of patients being seen and treated within 18 weeks in December 2014.
Lothian MSP and Scottish Conservative Health Spokesperson Miles Briggs has called for SNP Ministers to do more to support NHS Lothian which has been underfunded and neglected by the SNP Scottish Government over the last decade.
Miles Briggs, Scottish Conservative Lothian MSP, said: “These latest figures show that patients in NHS Lothian are having to wait longer for treatment than any other part of Scotland, with the exception of NHS Grampian.
“I am regularly contacted by constituents who are having to wait unacceptably long waiting times to receive treatment, many of who are in pain and whose quality of life is significantly impacted due to waits.
“NHS Lothian no longer has the capacity to deal with demand they did five years ago, with only 5,004 patients seen and treated within 18 weeks in December 2018 compared to 9,938 patients seen and treated within 18 weeks in December 2014.
“SNP Ministers must do more to support NHS Lothian which has been underfunded and neglected by the SNP Scottish Government over the last decade.”
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