During the First Minister’s Questions on Thursday MSP Foysol Choudhury questioned the Scottish Government on the accuracy of the expected wait times given to patients seeking specialist treatment from the NHS.
He raised concerns about why patients are being left in the dark regarding NHS wait times after being referred to see a specialist.
“Patients and families need to know what to expect. Right now, they’re left in limbo,” he said.
In the exchange, Mr Choudhury pressed the First Minister for a response: “How is the government working to ensure that patients are accurately informed of waiting times for NHS treatment following referrals to a specialist?”.
This question followed a distressing story shared by one of his constituents, whose referral to be seen by a specialist has far exceeded any acceptable limits, with no set date for an appointment after over a year of waiting since the initial referral.
Mr Choudhury also questioned whether the First Minister would acknowledge that his Government has lost control of escalating waiting times for specialist care, as these excessive delays leave patients experiencing prolonged periods of distress and uncertainty, significantly impacting their mental health.
This is not an isolated incident and is a genuine, growing concern across Scotland, with patients being told they are “on the list” without any clear indication as to when their appointment will be. This is illustrated by the following: In NHS Lothian, the number of people waiting over 52 weeks to see a dermatologist has doubled in the last year.
Mr Choudhury hopes the First Minister will consider some steps to improve patient experience and restore trust in the system.
He has called for greater transparency so that every patient can receive a clear idea of how long they may have to wait before accessing specialist treatment. He also emphasised the need for greater certainty around whether and when patients will receive care, alongside improved visibility of waiting times and targets made publicly available.
“Patients cannot, and must not, be left in the dark. We need a system where every person knows when they will be seen and what care they can expect. Until then, I will continue pressing this Government to act.”
