Tag: waiting times

New measure to cut driving test waiting times

Fewer driving test slots will be wasted as the UK government announces an extension to the window for test cancellations to prevent last minute changes.

From 8 April 2025, learner drivers will need to give more notice when changing or cancelling their car driving test to avoid losing their fee. Currently, customers can cancel up to 3 days ahead of their test without losing their test fee.

Under the new rules, learners must give 10 full working days’ notice to change or cancel their test without losing the fee.

This is the latest action in the government’s 7-point plan to reduce waiting times and will allow more slots to be made available.

Extending the window will also encourage customers to be better prepared and ready to pass when they book their test – as well as encourage learners to change or cancel their test sooner if they’re not ready and so give more chance for appointments to be used by someone else.

Minister for the Future of Roads, Lilian Greenwood, said: “Driving is more than just a means of transport; it is a lifeline for many, opening doors to jobs, opportunities and ultimately contributing to the growth of our economy.

“The measures announced today are another vital step in tackling the driving test backlog and ensuring that more learners who are ready to take their test can do so without unnecessary delays.

“These new measures will ensure that driving test appointments are used efficiently, encouraging learners to make adjustments to their schedules sooner, should they not be fully prepared.”

The change announced yesterday (17 March 2025) is part of the government’s 7-point plan to help reduce driving test waiting times.

Announced in December 2024, the plan includes:

  • recruiting and training 450 driving examiners
  • reviewing and improving the rules for booking driving tests
  • introducing tougher terms and conditions for the service driving instructors use to book and manage car driving tests for their pupils

Loveday Ryder, DVSA’s Chief Executive, said: “Extending the short notice cancellation period for driving tests forms part of our 7-point plan to reduce driving test waiting times.

“This will encourage learners to change or cancel their test sooner so we can offer up those slots to other customers.

“We remain committed to reducing driving test waiting times and supporting learners in getting on the road when they are truly ready and safe to do so.”

To further protect motorists given continued cost-of-living pressures and potential fuel price volatility amid global uncertainty, the government has also frozen fuel duty at current levels for another year, saving the average car driver £59.

Scottish pilot tackling hidden waiting list of people at risk of bowel cancer

A Cancer Research UK-funded scheme aims to tackle a waiting list of people at higher risk of developing bowel cancer.

The project, which aims to improve patient access to vital colonoscopies, has launched in the Scottish Borders and, if successful, could change NHS practice across the UK.

The initiative is part of a UK-wide programme from the charity, with additional support from the Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK, called Test, Evidence, Transition (TET) which aims to accelerate the adoption of best practice in the early diagnosis of bowel cancer.

Cancer waiting times in Scotland are currently amongst the worst on record. In April-June 2024, only 73 per cent of patients who were referred urgently with a suspicion of cancer started treatment within 62 days, with the Borders region performing above the national average at 77.9 per cent. This is still below the 95 per cent standard and nationally is the third worst performance on record since 2012.*

However, patients regarded as being at a higher risk of developing bowel cancer – usually because of pre-existing medical conditions are not covered by this target.

Instead, they are put on ‘surveillance’ lists because they need tests at regular intervals and do not have a current suspicion of cancer based on symptoms.

Stretched resources can mean those with symptoms of suspected cancer take priority, leaving some of those who may have a similar risk, waiting for long periods of time for a colonoscopy with no NHS target in place for them.

To tackle this issue NHS Borders, with the support of Cancer Research UK and research partners at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, has developed a new nurse-led surveillance pathway to improve access to colonoscopies.

Dr Jonathan Fletcher, Consultant Physician and NHS Borders Lead Clinician for the project, said: “With the support of Cancer Research UK and the Bowelbabe Fund, we are excited to be overhauling the colonoscopy follow up arrangements for Borders patients with a variety of conditions that increase their risk of colorectal cancer.

“There will be a range of benefits to patients and the endoscopy service that we hope to examine and measure with this initiative.”

A colonoscopy is a type of endoscopy, a non-surgical procedure using a flexible camera to examine the inside of the colon.

In the new pathway in the Borders, patients will receive a new reminder phone call 4-5 days prior to their colonoscopy appointment to reduce missed appointments and carry out a pre-assessment to note any changes in their health.

It will also offer services advising patients on steps they can take to reduce their risk of developing bowel cancer and will improve the use of IT systems to make management of the waiting list more efficient and effective.

Julieann Brennan, Strategic Lead and Board Coordinator for Public Health National Screening Programmes in Scotland, said: “This is an exciting opportunity to work with Cancer Research UK to improve access to our colonoscopy services, particularly for those who may be at higher risk of developing bowel cancer.

“We also want to make improvements in communications with those patients who may be at higher risk.”

TET is a major Cancer Research UK programme which aims to accelerate the adoption of innovation in the health system while reducing inequalities in access to best practice cancer care. Previously, the scheme has focused on reducing waiting times for people with suspected breast and prostate cancer.

Naser Turabi, Director of Evidence and Implementation at Cancer Research UK, said: “There is a relatively less well-known group of people who are at a higher risk of bowel cancer, waiting too long for crucial colonoscopy tests. It has no official target and so can get less attention and resource.

“We are delighted to support this exciting initiative undertaken by NHS Borders who are keen to reduce the wait and improve outcomes for patients in their region.

“If patients in this pilot scheme can be tested at the right frequency, we have a better chance of diagnosing cancer earlier, when treatment is much more likely to be successful. We hope the learning from this work will be adopted elsewhere in Scotland and across the UK.”

TET has received £2m from Cancer Research UK and the Bowelbabe Fund for projects across the UK, with each project delivered by local NHS teams in conjunction with academics to find new ways to improve both patient experience and cancer outcomes.

The Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK was created to continue the inspiring legacy of Dame Deborah James who was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2016 at the age of 35.

Launched in the last few weeks of her life and now stewarded by her family, together with Cancer Research UK it works to fund cutting-edge research, raise awareness of signs and symptoms of cancer with the aim of helping more people affected by cancer have more time with the people they love.

New mental health service launches in Edinburgh to reduce wait times for autism and ADHD diagnosis

HealthCare in Mind, a new dedicated service offering private autism, ADHD and mental health assessment treatments and therapies, has launched in Edinburgh to improve access to high quality mental health diagnoses and address the growing wait times for critical mental health support.

With average NHS wait times for autism and ADHD assessments reaching one to two years across the country, HealthCare In Mind provides a much-needed alternative for families and individuals seeking answers and support. The service is now live in Edinburgh and will allow patients to access care instantly through both remote and in-person appointments to suit their needs.

HealthCare in Mind offers a range of mental health services, including fully comprehensive diagnostic assessments for both children and adults, and therapy treatments to manage mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and mood disorders.

HealthCare In Mind is led by Dr Simon Le Clerc MStJ, and Dr Kate Higham, alongside an expert team of psychiatrists, psychologists and therapists to provide instant access to the highest quality care to those in need.

Dr Simon Le Clerc commented: “Cases of adults and children seeking answers about their mental health, and the way they experience the world have risen dramatically in Edinburgh, and NHS waiting lists are struggling to keep up.

“It is not uncommon for wait times of up to a year for a first appointment for ADHD, autism and mental health assessments, and after assessment there are further waiting lists for accessing therapy treatments to help people manage their conditions.

“By offering private, tailored neurodiversity assessments, we can offer an option to families and individuals in need of a quicker solution. Our ambition for the future is to work with the NHS to support with clearing the waiting lists, but our service is also available for those in need today.”

To book an initial consultation, visit www.healthcareinmind.com.

Miles Briggs deplores ‘horrifying’ A&E waiting times in NHS Lothian

Scottish Conservative and Unionist MSP for Lothian Miles Briggs has accused the SNP of presiding over “horrifying” A&E waiting times in Lothian.

Mr. Briggs’ remarks come after monthly A&E waiting times for November showed that only 58.5% of patients across Lothian were seen within the SNP’s four-hour target waiting time.

In the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, the figure is at a shockingly low 44.1%.

This was below the average for Scotland which sits at 65.8%.

The SNP’s own target is for 95% of patients to be seen within that time after arriving at A&E.

Lothian MSP Miles Briggs says these waits are “unacceptable” and “undoubtedly put lives at risk” and insists that the SNP have failed to give dedicated staff the resources they need to see patients quickly enough.

Mr. Briggs says that the SNP’s failures mean A&E services in Lothian are in “permanent crisis” mode and that this could “spiral out of control” over winter.

Mr. Briggs has urged SNP health secretary Neil Gray to come up with a proper plan for the health service, which ensures money gets to the frontline, rather than being wasted on pointless bureaucracy.

Scottish Conservative and Unionist MSP Miles Briggs said: “A&E waiting times in Lothian are absolutely horrifying, and this is mirrored across Scotland.

“Far too many patients are waiting too long to be seen in Lothian and that undoubtedly puts lives at risk.

“These waits are unacceptable and successive SNP health secretaries have left Lothian and the rest of Scotland without the resources to meet the demands of patients turning up in A&E.

“My constituents in Lothian are at even greater risk than other Scots – and the buck stops with the SNP government.

“A&E departments are in permanent crisis mode and as winter continues there is a real danger the waits will spiral out of control.

“These waiting times must finally be the wake-up call for Neil Gray to deliver a proper plan to support Scotland’s NHS.

“This must prioritise getting money to the frontline in Lothian and across Scotland rather than being wasted on pointless bureaucracy.”

Scottish government urged to heed A&E ‘alarm bells’

The Scottish government must heed the ‘alarms bells’ as new A&E data suggests another very challenging winter ahead.    

That’s the call from The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) Scotland as new data for Emergency Department performance in August reveals it was the worst August since records began in 2011, for patients experiencing extremely long waits.  

The figures released yesterday (Tuesday 1 October) by Public Health Scotland, show that the number of patients waiting 12 hours or more in August was higher than in any January or February from 2012 to 2022, despite it being a month in summer when Emergency Department performance tends to improve.  

More than a third of people (34.2%) waited over four hours, more than one in 10 (11.3%) waited eight hours or longer, while 4.65% of patients waited over 12 hours in a Scottish ED.  

The data shows long waits have increased significantly since the 2010’s.  

Since August 2017, for example, the numbers waiting four hours or more has increased by six times (6,743 to 39,096), eight hours or more by 37 times (347 to 12,954), and 12 hours or more by 127 times (42 to 5,312). This is despite attendance only decreasing by 0.7% in the same period. 

Dr John-Paul Loughrey, RCEM Vice President for Scotland said: “It once was that the summer months provided some respite from the stresses experienced in Emergency Departments, but those days are long gone.   

“Yet again the figures show the reality of the pressure we have been dealing with this summer, which is on a level with what we would have experienced during the busiest winter months just a few years ago. Overcrowding in our A&Es is now at winter crisis levels all year round.  

“The alarm bells are sounding loudly as winter approaches, and the government must respond.   

“Last week’s Winter Preparedness plan however gives me little hope that they will respond in the ways we have recommended. It lacks any specific measures to address the inevitable spikes in demand for Emergency Care which comes during the colder months, or the lack of capacity in the acute care system as a whole.    

“Once again Scottish people seeking emergency care this winter are facing extreme waits and, for many, the indignity of so called ‘corridor care’. These are not just inconvenient, they are dangerous and potentially life threatening.  

“The Scottish government must bolster its winter planning to ensure that people who need to be admitted to hospital from A&Es can be, without excessive waits, and that when they are well enough to leave there is the necessary social care in place for them to do so.   

“Failure to do so puts us on course for a harmful and incredibly difficult winter which is not what we or our patients want or deserve.”

A graphical representation of the data can be found here.    

The full data set can be found on the RCEM website. 

RCEM: Tackling A&E waiting times must be top priority for Scottish government

Curbing sky rocketing A&E waiting times must be the number one priority for the Scottish government with winter just around the corner.   

That is the call from The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) Scotland as A&E performance data for July represented the worst July since records began in 2011 for extended wait times in Emergency Departments.  

Data released yesterday (Tuesday 3 September 2024) by Public Health Scotland shows in A&Es across Scotland in July, 5,593 patients waited 12 hours or longer before being seen, admitted, discharged, or transferred.

This is double the number of people who waited this long in July last year. 

The data also shows long waits have increased significantly since the 2010s.  

Since July 2017, for example, the numbers of people waiting four hours or more has increased by nearly seven times (5553 to 38,379), eight hours or more by 53 times (248 to 13,146), and 12 hours or more by 279 times (20 to 5,593). This was despite attendances only increasing by 0.9% in the same period. 

Delays in discharging patients is a key reason that doctors cannot admit patients into hospitals from their Emergency Departments, therefore causing long waits. In July, there were 61,165 days spent in hospital by people who were well enough to be discharged but unable to be due to a lack of social care provisions. This is equivalent to 167 years.  

Dr John-Paul Loughrey, RCEM Vice President for Scotland said: “The Scottish government must take heed and put measures in place to end long wait times in our Emergency Departments.   

“These staggering statistics are deeply worrying for the people of Scotland who are facing incredibly long and tiring waits despite it being summer. We have been dealing with ‘winter levels’ of pressure, which does not bode well as we start to head into the colder months. The first day of winter is just three months away, which will inevitably heap pressure on the health care system.   

“Continuing to focus on diverting patients away from A&E rather than addressing the capacity problems will not avert the coming crisis. These statistics aren’t just numbers. They are people who have come to our Emergency Departments needing emergency care. They deserve better. Our health care colleagues deserve better.” 

A graphical representation of the data can be found here.  

The full data set can be found on the RCEM website. 

Edinburgh patient forced to go private following year-long wait

Edinburgh resident John Rowan (68) has had to go private for hearing aids after waiting over a year for his regular hearing aid check, despite the Scottish Government setting a waiting time target of 18 weeks.

Mr Rowan’s hearing loss originated from contracting measles as a child and the legacy of contracting measles is now affecting his hearing in later life.

Despite being retired, Mr Rowan is heavily involved in the charity sector and until recently, sat on the board of a Scottish-wide charity and he volunteers with several others.

In May 2023, Mr Rowan self-referred himself for a new hearing test and was added to the waiting list. Despite assurances his appointment would be in May 2024, he was not invited to an appointment.

The further deterioration in his hearing has left him struggling to hear basic conversations.

Due to this, Mr Rowan took the decision to go private to receive hearing aids.

Labour MSP for Lothian, Sarah Boyack, has been pursuing this issue on Mr Rowan’s behalf.

However, the NHS confirmed to Ms Boyack in May 2024, that due to pressure there was no confirmation for when Mr Rowan would receive his appointment.

Only after Mr Rowan had paid out of pocket for his hearing aids did the NHS get back in touch to confirm an appointment for August 2024.

Mr Rowan said: “My hearing test was due in May, however, unfortunately it was pushed back with no date given to me for when I might be tested.

“Due to the ongoing delay, I had to resort to going private to ensure I got the hearing aids I desperately needed.

“My loss of hearing affects me in day-to-day life, as I struggle to listen to conversations which I need to hear in the roles that I do with the voluntary sector.

“I am incredibly concerned if more is not done to tackle these waiting times then my hearing will only deteriorate further.”

Sarah Boyack MSP added: “Mr Rowan’s case illustrates the dire state that the Scottish Government have left NHS Lothian in.

“These delays and missed targets dramatically affect patients’ lives.

“It is unacceptable that Mr Rowan is facing further deterioration of his hearing due to delays.

“The Scottish Government must address the crisis in NHS Lothian as an immediate priority.

“No one should be having to pay out of pocket simply to be able to hear conversations with friends and family.

“If they don’t I fear cases such as Mr Rowan’s will only become more common.”

RCEM responds to Liberal Democrats’ 12-hour A&E waits data

Responding to the Liberal Democrats’ data which it says shows the number of patients waiting 12 hours or more in A&E has risen 100-fold since 2019, Dr Adrian Boyle, President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said: “We very much welcome the Liberal Democrats’ focus on this extremely important issue, and for responding to our request for more focus to be given by all pollical parties to the crisis happening right now in our A&E departments.

“These figures, and our own research, clearly evidence the shameful and shocking reality of poorly patients who need to be cared for on hospital wards having to wait many hour hours, ever days, often on trolleys in corridors because there is not enough capacity in the system.

“There simply are not enough beds to admit people to, often because the people in those beds are medically well enough to go home but can’t because of inadequate or delayed social care support.

“It is not just a matter of inconvenience or lack of dignity – which is bad enough. The longer people’s in-patient admission is delayed, the greater the risk the risk to their life. 

“There is no one quick fix, but the problems are fixable. RCEM is ready to work with whoever forms the next Government to begin the process of resuscitating our health system and ending these unacceptable and dangerous long waits.”

#ResuscitateEmergencyCare

Scottish Children’s Services Coalition: 137 children wait over a year for mental health treatment

New figures show 137 children waiting more for a year for mental health treatment  

The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), an alliance of leading providers of specialist care and education to vulnerable children and young people, is calling for the Scottish Government to renew its focus on tackling the child mental health emergency.

The SCSC has also warned that the Scottish Government is in in danger of missing its Programme for Government commitment to Increase direct investment into mental health by the end of the parliamentary term, noting that only 75p in every £100 is spent on specialist child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).

While health is a devolved matter, it has also noted that the General Election provides an ideal opportunity to talk about this crucial matter in Scotland.

The call comes as the latest waiting time figures from Public Health Scotland, published on 4th June, indicate that 137 children and young people had been waiting over a year for treatment from CAMHS in the quarter ending March 2024.

The figures also show that a total of 5,557 children and young people were still stuck on waiting lists to start treatment at the end of that quarter.

In addition, just 86.0 per cent of patients with mental health problems were seen within 18 weeks from referral to treatment at CAMHS. This falls short of the Scottish Government’s waiting time target of 90 per cent being seen within 18 weeks.

This comes against the background of an increasing level of violent incidents in the classroom, a result in part due to the current mental health emergency, exacerbated by the long shadow of the Covid lockdown and cost-of-living crisis.

Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, cases of poor mental health in children and young people were at unprecedented levels, with under-resourced services struggling to keep pace with growing demand, leaving an increasing number of vulnerable individuals unable to access support.

The Scottish Government in its NHS Recovery Plan 2021-2026 committed to Increase direct investment into mental health by the end of the parliamentary term in 2026, ensuring that 10 per cent of the frontline NHS budget is invested in mental health, with 1 per cent directed specifically to children and young people through CAMHS.2

However, it should be noted that despite greatly increased demand, only 0.75% of the total frontline NHS budget was spent on CAMHS in the 2022/23 financial year, amounting to £114.799 million (real terms), just 75p in every £100 of the NHS budget.

The mental health budget overall amounts to only 8.53% of total frontline NHS expenditure, a decrease of 0.59% from 9.12% in the past decade (2011/12).3

The SCSC is calling the Scottish Government to refocus on the treatment of mental health issues, prioritising spending and avoiding a potential lost generation of children and young people with mental health problems.

A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “The latest figures, highlighting that 137 children and young people have been waiting over a year for treatment from mental health services, is extremely alarming.

“We are facing a mental health emergency, and many of our children and young people are at breaking point, with stress and anxiety reaching alarming levels. Despite this, too many are waiting too long for treatment, and if the Scottish Government is to reach its financial commitment to spend 1 per cent of the frontline NHS budget on CAMHS, it will need to radically increase investment.

“While health is a devolved matter, this General Election provides an opportunity to talk about it, and we would urge the Scottish Government to refocus its efforts on delivering services that adequately address the needs of our children and young people.”

RCEM: New First Minister must address A&E ‘danger zone’

A&Es in Scotland are under “constant strain” amid extended wait times and delays to patient discharge.

This is the response from The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) as new Scottish National Party leader John Swinney lists the NHS as being among his “focus” points in power.

RCEM has called for the incoming First Minister, which is expected to be Mr Swinney as the only candidate, to address hospital discharge delays and extended A&E wait times.

Monthly performance data released yesterday by Public Health Scotland reveals the true scale of the challenge, with the number of people waiting twelve hours or more at A&Es in Scotland having grown by 6260% since 2017.

The data, which covers March, shows slight improvement since February. However, it was the worst March since records began in 2011 for patients being seen within four hours of arriving at A&E.

In March, one in three people attending Scottish Emergency Departments waited four hours or more to be seen, one in eight waited eight hours or more, and one in 20 waited 12 hours or more.

There was a total of 58,646 days spent in hospital by people who were well enough to be discharged, but unable to leave due to inadequate social care.

Dr JP Loughrey, The Royal College of Emergency Medicine’s Vice President for Scotland said: “The constant strain on staff and patients is causing an immense amount of damage. They are stuck in the danger zone of a long-wait pressure gauge without enough support to relieve this alarming situation.

“Any modest improvements on February’s figures are not enough. Scotland’s new First Minister must commit to bringing about positive change by putting the nation’s healthcare at the top of their priorities.

“The College’s campaign to #ResuscitateEmergencyCare and its 2024 Manifesto recommendations can support the Scottish Government and other key policy makers in making tangible changes to help improve the dire situation we are in.

“Delays to patients discharge from hospital is one key area to improve upon as this blocker mean Emergency Department doctors cannot admit patients, causing unacceptably long waits that are continually getting worse.

“Delays in ambulance handovers, hospital discharges and a lack of social care provisions continue to take a toll on hardworking staff who are at their limit.

Dr Loughrey added: “The College would like to congratulate John Swinney on his appointment as SNP leader. We look forward to working together to improve Emergency Care in Scotland.”

A graphic illustration of the data can be found here. The full data set can be found here.