Health boards will receive an additional £25.5 million this year
to allow them to deliver more planned care appointments and
procedures to reduce long waits for patients, First Minister
has announced.
The additional funding will support the delivery of more
outpatient appointments and inpatient/day case procedures across
a variety of specialities including orthopaedics, dermatology,
general surgery and gynaecology. Cardiology and paediatrics will
also get extra funding.
This new support takes total additional investment to £135.5
million in 2025-26 to help the National Health Service maintain
progress on reducing waiting lists.
Recent figures show the total list size and longest waits are
coming down. There has also been an increase of more than 31,000
appointments and procedures from April to September this year
compared to same period in 2024.
Speaking during a visit to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in
Glasgow, the First Minister said:
“The latest figures show our plan to support Scotland's NHS is
working, delivering real benefits for patients. We have already
provided £110 million of additional targeted funding this year to
tackle the longest waits. Now we are providing a further boost to
deliver more appointments and procedures, taking the total
additional funding to £135.5 million for 2025-26.
“I am determined to build on the progress being achieved by
hardworking staff in our health service, like those I met today
at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. We want to help them
provide the care and treatment patients need and expect – and we
are already seeing results.
“Not only are the total list size and longest waits coming down,
but we are treating more people than last year. There is still
work to be done, but these are very welcome improvements.
“Under my leadership, the people of Scotland can expect a strong
National Health Service delivering patient care of the highest
possible quality.”
Background
The additional £25.5 million will be shared between the following
health boards:
- Fife
- Grampian
- Greater Glasgow and Clyde
- Highland
- Lanarkshire
- Lothian
- Shetland
- Tayside
In NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, as at 30 September 2025, new
outpatient ongoing waits over 52 weeks had decreased by 17.6% and
inpatient/day case ongoing waits over 52 weeks had decreased by
5.7% compared to the previous month.
Reduction in NHS waiting
lists - gov.scot
