Call for action on waiting times

A flagship SNP waiting time law was broken 2,457 times in the first three months of 2018 in Lanarkshire, according to local Labour MSP Claudia Beamish.
Local MSP Claudia Beamish wants the government to take action on 12-week commitmeent to patients.Local MSP Claudia Beamish wants the government to take action on 12-week commitmeent to patients.
Local MSP Claudia Beamish wants the government to take action on 12-week commitmeent to patients.

According to recent figures, the Treatment Time Guarantee, which gives patients a legal right to treatment within 12 weeks for conditions such as knee and eye operations, has been broken 134,804 times across Scotland since its introduction in 2012 and 18,095 times in Lanarkshire.

Ms Beamish branded the figures as unacceptable.

She said: “I’m frequently contacted by constituents because they have been told their procedure will miss its guaranteed time. This is distressing for people as long and unknown waits can have a negative impact on work, family life, mental and physical well-being. Staff are also under tremendous pressure.

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“Earlier this year figures were published which showed that 21 per cent of planned operations cancelled in NHS Lanarkshire in 2017 were due to capacity. This is not sustainable. Labour has forced the SNP government into a commitment that patients get an accurate expected waiting time. We want to see this in place as soon as possible.”