Operations across NHS Scotland have risen by more than 7% year-on-year, alongside continued progress in reducing long waits for care, according to newly published data from Public Health Scotland.
The latest figures show that 281,115 operations were carried out in the 12 months to April 2026, marking a 7.3% increase compared with the same period the previous year. On average, 770 procedures were performed daily, up from 718 per day in the year ending April 2025.
For healthcare leaders and service planners, the data points to a sustained recovery in elective activity, supported by targeted investment and service redesign.
Waiting Times Show Consistent Improvement
Alongside higher activity levels, the data reveals a continued downward trend in the longest waits:
- New outpatient waits exceeding one year have fallen for 11 consecutive months
- Inpatient and day-case waits over a year have decreased for 15 straight months
This sustained improvement suggests that capacity expansion and operational efficiencies are beginning to have a measurable impact on patient flow and backlog reduction.
Additional Appointments Target Exceeded
The Scottish Government has also surpassed its pledge to deliver 150,000 additional appointments. In the financial year to March 2026, a total of 168,177 extra appointments and procedures were carried out compared with the previous year.
From a system performance perspective, this represents a significant uplift in throughput, helping to address pent-up demand following pandemic-related disruption.
National Treatment Centres Driving Planned Care
National Treatment Centres (NTCs) continue to play a central role in boosting elective capacity.
In the first nine months of 2025–26, 34,089 procedures were delivered through NTCs, exceeding the commitment to increase planned activity to over 30,000.
These centres are designed to provide protected elective capacity, reducing the impact of unscheduled care pressures on planned treatment pathways.
Government Response
Health Secretary Angela Constance welcomed the figures, stating:
“I am pleased to see sustained and continued improvement in the number of operations carried out. Coupled with our continued progress to reduce waiting times, these latest figures show our plan is delivering for Scotland.
“I thank all NHS staff for their continued hard work and dedication – teams all across the country are driving this progress.
“We have delivered on our pledge to provide 150,000 additional appointments last year and our NTCs activity has surpassed our target already this year – our NHS is turning a corner and we are determined to build on this progress and ensure people are receiving the treatment they need as soon as possible.”
What This Means for NHS Leaders
For NHS managers and policymakers across the UK, the Scottish data offers several key takeaways:
- Sustained investment in elective recovery can deliver measurable gains
- Dedicated elective infrastructure (such as NTCs) supports resilience
- Consistency in reducing long waits signals system stabilisation
- Workforce capacity remains central to maintaining momentum
As pressures remain across all UK health systems, Scotland’s trajectory will be closely watched as an indicator of what sustained recovery could look like at scale.
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