The amount spend by NHS Lothian on private treatment for inpatients has reduced significantly over the last five years. Inpatient (IP/DC) private spend has dropped from £15,751,689 in 2014/15 to just £1,339,216 in 2018/19.
Waiting times for diagnostic treatments, such as Endoscopy, have increased dramatically with 65% of patients waiting over the six week target, compared to only 4% in March 2014. At the same time private spend on inpatient Endoscopy has decreased each year from £2,694,397 in 2014/15, down to £311,233 in 2018/19.
The number of patients on the urgent waiting list for a urology operation at the Edinburgh Western General Urology Hub is now 465 at 31 March 2019, the latest data available and the total number on the waiting list for routine and urgent Urology treatments is now 933 patients. The spending on inpatient Urology private treatment has dropped to £8,290 in the lasts year ending March 2019, compared to £1,579,030 in 2014/15.
In February this year it was revealed that 512 patients had been waiting over 100 days for orthopaedic treatments in NHS Lothian, with 9 of the patients waiting for over a year for treatment. Inpatients spend on private Orthopaedic treatment for adults dropped from £3,810,071 in 2014/15 to just £217,9170 in 2018/19.
The Scottish Conservatives are calling for Jeane Freeman, the health secretary, to utilise the sector further for the benefit of patients waiting in pain and suffering.
Scottish Conservative Health Spokesperson, Miles Briggs, said: “Waiting times for patients in NHS Lothian have increased dramatically over the last four years, especially for specialties such as Endoscopy, Urology and Orthopaedics.
“The amount that NHS Lothian is spending on private treatments has been severely reduced by over £14 million, but capacity has not been increased.
“It is clear that back in 2014/15 private treatment capacity was assisting NHS Lothian but now we see waiting times have reached record lengths for some specialities, with the amount spent on private treatment being slashed.
“SNP Ministers have been sending mixed messages about the use of the independent sector and have created a situation where waiting lists are increasing and increasing. Twelve years of SNP mismanagement of our NHS has failed patients and families.”
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