There has been an increase in planned operations across NHS
Scotland, as recent statistics reveal that the number of hip and
knee arthroplasty operations reached an all-time high in 2024.
The statistics from The Scottish Arthroplasty Project reported
that 17,399 first (primary) hip or knee replacements performed in
NHS Scotland hospitals in 2024 compared to 15,908 in 2019.
The annual report also showed that over the last 10 years the
mean length of hospital stays, for both primary hip and primary
knee procedures, has decreased from 5 days to 2.6 days.
Separately, latest published data shows that there has been a
7.7% increase in planned operations across all procedures
compared to the same month last year.
Extra investment to tackle NHS waits is expected to deliver more
than 300,000 appointments and procedures this year.
Health Secretary said:
“These figures show our plan to bring down waiting lists in the
NHS is working, making it easier for people in Scotland living
with a chronic painful condition to get the treatment or
procedure they need.
"I am also pleased to see that patients are spending less time in
the hospital following hip, knee, or shoulder replacements,
thanks to advancements in both surgical techniques and pain
management.
“We will continue to drive improvements like these in the months
ahead and I would like to thank NHS staff across the country for
their outstanding efforts in facilitating this additional
activity, which is positively impacting people's lives.”
Background
The Scottish Arthroplasty Project is one of the oldest
arthroplasty registries in the world. It is a member of the
International Society of Arthroplasty Registries. The Scottish
Arthroplasty Project produces high quality data with the
principal aim of providing quality assurance and adverse outcome
monitoring of major joint replacement surgery within NHS
Scotland.
The full dataset can be viewed at Scottish
Arthroplasty Project
The full dataset can be viewed at Cancelled planned
operations
