Meeting of the Parliament 03 June 2026 [Draft]
I very much appreciate Mr Baxter’s intervention. I have been advised that significant progress has been made, but I will want to test that, and I would welcome a discussion with Mr Baxter on those matters.
Our commitment to tackling long waits is unwavering. Although we did not meet our March target, that was a stretching ambition and what matters are the actions that we are taking to go further. The latest data shows that the number of new out-patient waits of longer than 52 weeks has fallen for 11 consecutive months, with the number of in-patient and day-case waits of longer than 52 weeks having reduced for 15 months. Since July 2025, the number of waits of longer than a year for new out-patient appointments has fallen by 76 per cent and the number of waits of longer than a year for in-patient and day-case appointments has almost halved.
We are also seeing really good progress in diagnostics. In the latest quarter, activity was at its highest level since reporting began, in April 2024. That means that thousands more people are getting their scans and scopes sooner, which is helping them to get a faster diagnosis.
I am pleased to confirm that we have not only met but exceeded our additional activity target, as we delivered more than 168,000 additional appointments and procedures in 2025-26 compared with the number for the previous year. Data published yesterday shows a 7 per cent increase in the number of operations performed in the past 12 months. Our national treatment centres have been vital to that success, having delivered more than 34,000 surgeries and procedures between April and December 2025—surpassing our annual target three months early.
I want to go much further—and we have to. I want a system that is in balance and that can respond to demands, ensuring that all patients are seen quickly. That means delivering on our manifesto commitment that, by the end of this parliamentary session, no patients will be waiting longer than 26 weeks for treatment.
We are seeing improvements in cancer services, too. We are treating more patients on time, within both standards, than we did pre-pandemic. For example, more than 95 per cent of patients started treatment within 31 days of the decision to treat, with a median wait of just two days, which is the joint lowest figure on record. That progress has been helped by expanding the roll-out of our rapid cancer diagnostic services, including the new service in NHS Forth Valley, which opened last year. We are working on a new cancer action plan, which we will publish later this year.
I know that pressures in unscheduled care will be a concern for the public. Let me be clear: corridor care and long waits in accident and emergency are simply unacceptable. I am absolutely committed to improving care, improving performance and reducing delays. The reality is that those pressures do not start at the front door; they are caused by blockages across the whole system. Our focus has to be on practical, immediate action to tackle the underlying challenges, working collaboratively across the NHS, local government and key partners to deliver better, faster care. That is why, within the first 100 days of this session, we will publish a clear plan to improve patient flow, building on the progress already made through our investments in NHS 24, the Scottish Ambulance Service and the front-door frailty services that we now have in every health board.
Lasting improvement also means addressing the challenges in our social care sector, which have been exacerbated by the UK Government’s hostile approach to migration and the financial burden heaped on providers thanks to the increase in employer national insurance contributions.
A significant part of tackling pressures in our hospitals involves our continuing to move more care into communities, with new community health hubs, new lung and heart health MOTs and 30 walk-in general practice centres from Shetland to Stranraer.