NHS Scotland will benefit from the first installment of a £300m plan to reduce waiting lists, the Scottish Government has announced.
An initial £30m will be invested in Q1 of this financial year in a bid to kickstart efforts to cut inpatient and day-case waiting lists by 100,000 over the next three years.
Scottish first minister, Humza Yousaf, announced annual funding of £100m to reduce inpatient and day-case waiting lists last October.
The initial £30m will target:
- Orthopaedic treatment
- Cancer diagnostics
- Patients experiencing the longest waits
“This is all part of our programme to drive up productivity and tackle waiting lists”
Victoria Hospital’s National Treatment Centre has made space for an extra 540 orthopaedic joint procedures since its launch last year – it is expected to provide additional capacity for approximately 700 orthopaedic procedures, including hip and knee surgery, by 2025/26.
On a visit to the National Treatment Centre in Fife, Humza Yousaf, said: “As I set out last October, we are committed to accelerating treatment in our NHS and reducing inpatient and day-case waiting lists by an estimated 100,000 patients over the next three years, backed by planned investment of an extra £100m annually.”
He continued: “This is all part of our programme to drive up productivity and tackle waiting lists, supported by the Centre for Sustainable Delivery.”
These measures will allow NHS Scotland to maximise capacity, build resilience and drive down waiting lists consistently, added Humza.
National Health Executive hosted a Backlog online conference at the start of the year and delved into diagnostics, patient flow, infrastructure, and more. Click here to watch that event and others on demand.
Image credit: iStock
