THE SCOTTISH Government has claimed that they are making “progress” on NHS waiting times, with a pledge to provide 150,000 additional appointments surpassed.
Waiting lists have continued to fall every month since, with new figures showing that long waits have fallen now for 15 months in a row.
Public Health Scotland statistics for 30 April 2026 show new outpatient waits of over a year have fallen for 11 consecutive months, down 7% compared to March 2026 and 76.5% since July 2025.
Long waits for inpatient and daycare procedures have also fallen every month since July 2025, with 52-week waits down 47.4% over the same period.
Diagnostic waiting times are now at their lowest level since May 2021, with the latest quarterly figures to 31 March 2026 showing endoscopy waits fell 6% and radiology waits fell 10% on the previous quarter.
More than half of endoscopy tests and 78% of radiology tests had been ongoing for less than six weeks, the highest proportion for both types since March 2020.
Over-a-year waits in both specialities also fell sharply, with endoscopy down 67% and radiology down 4% on March 2025.
New Health Secretary Angela Constance hailed these results as evidence the SNP’s plan is “delivering for the people of Scotland”.
She said: “These new figures show our plan is delivering for the people of Scotland. We are seeing sustained decreases in waits of over a year with 11 consecutive months of progress in new outpatient waits and inpatient and daycase procedures reducing for 15 months in a row.
“We have seen significant decreases in waits over a year in these time periods with more and more people getting the treatment they need.”
She added: “On top of this progress, new data shows we surpassed our pledges to provide additional appointments last year – with 168,177 extra appointments and procedures delivered.
“This is testament to the hard work of our NHS staff across Scotland and I thank them for their continued outstanding efforts.
“We know there is more to do, and I am determined to continue to build on this substantial progress and ensure people receive the treatment they need as soon as possible.”
The Scottish Conservatives, however, pointed out that more than 30,000 Scots have been on waiting lists for over a year now.
Scottish Conservative health spokesperson Miles Briggs MSP said: “After two decades of SNP mismanagement, the backlog in Scotland’s NHS is out of control.
“John Swinney should be ashamed that hundreds of thousands of Scots are still languishing on a waiting list, with over 30,000 of them having now been waiting over a year.
“His new health secretary Angela Constance needs to get a grip on this backlog and ensure our dedicated NHS staff can treat patients as quickly as possible.
“We know these intolerable waiting times are forcing more and more desperate patients to raid their life savings for costly private treatment, due to the SNP’s inaction.
“John Swinney should stop banging on about independence and finally set out a credible plan to end the permanent crisis in our health service on the SNP’s watch.”
Ross Chalmers is a journalist focusing on local Edinburgh news, transport, the environment, the arts, and housing.
He graduated from Edinburgh Napier University with a degree in journalism in Summer 2025 and began working at Deadline News as a reporter in August.
