Budget funding to cut waiting times in Scotland

Funding to drive down waiting times forms part of a £21.7 billion investment in health and social care services in the 2025-26 Scottish Budget, Finance Secretary Shona Robison has said.

Ahead of a key debate on the Scottish Budget Bill, Ms Robison visited a National Treatment Centre in Kirkcaldy to see how it is providing thousands of additional appointments and diagnostic tests.

The Finance Secretary said:

“The Scottish Budget targets funding at measures to improve the lives of Scottish people, with record investment in the public services on which we all rely.

“Scotland's NHS is one of our most cherished institutions, which is why the Budget provides £21.7 billion for health and social care, including £200 million to reduce waiting times and help tackle delayed discharge.

“We know the NHS is still under considerable pressure due to lingering effects of the pandemic. Relieving this pressure is one of our main objectives.

“To that end, we have committed to a substantial increase in capacity to ensure no one waits more than a year for treatment by March 2026. The changes we propose will deliver more than 150,000 extra appointments and procedures in the coming year. That includes 10,000 extra procedures through the National Treatment Centres such as the one in Kirkcaldy.”