NHS Crisis: Patient Waits Over 5 Years for Vital Surgery
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A woman has endured immense pain while awaiting a hysterectomy for as long as six years. SNP facing criticism due to unfulfilled pledges regarding healthcare.
The Grampian Health Board acknowledged that one female patient has been awaiting crucial surgery for up to 2,122 days.
This case reveals the extent of the issue. NHS crisis under the SNP.
It follows the disclosure this month that over 10,000 patients passed away 'while awaiting' treatment on NHS Scotland’s waiting lists.
Carol Mochan, the spokesperson for Scottish Labour on issues of women’s health, He stated: 'Throughout Scotland, women are suffering due to the failures of the SNP.'
'Women are bearing the brunt of the SNP's incompetence as they endure lengthy waits, sometimes lasting several months or even years, for hysterectomy procedures.'
'Beneath the SNP’s affectionate statements, initiatives, and plans concerning women’s health lies a history of unfulfilled pledges.'
A Freedom of Information request submitted by the Labour party sought details on the wait times for a hysterectomy—surgery aimed at addressing issues related to the uterus such as cancers—in each of Scotland’s healthcare boards from 2019 up to the current period.
Party research shows that in the majority of health board areas the longest waits experienced by women for the operation have risen drastically since 2019.
The longest wait for a patient in NHS Grampian transitioned from 456 days in 2019 to 2,054 in 2024. Remarkably, the current longest waiting period stands at 2,122 days as of December. The waits for operations in NHS Borders have increased nearly tenfold since 2019, jumping from 103 days to 990 days last year, whereas in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, they rose almost ninefold, from 134 days to 1,129 days.
The longest waits in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Lanarkshire and Tayside last year were all more than 1,000 days – about three years. The average wait for a hysterectomy has also risen. In Lanarkshire, average waits are almost four-and-a-half times longer than in 2019-20, increasing from 61 days to 272 in 2024-25.
Average waiting times at NHS Ayrshire and Arran have almost increased threefold from 49 days to 145 within the same period. In NHS Grampian, patients typically await treatment for an average of 408.5 days.
For NHS Borders, this number stands at 290, whereas for NHS Lothian, it is 269.
According to Public Health Scotland data, 10,304 individuals passed away between January and September 2024 while they were awaiting their first outpatient appointment and medical care from the National Health Service (NHS).
The number of deaths occurring while patients awaited approved procedures, like surgeries, increased dramatically from 690 in 2013-14 to 2,151 in 2023-24—a rise of 212 percent.
The Scottish Government stated: "Gynecology was one of the areas highlighted in our £30 million investment for scheduled care, resulting in 3,500 extra new outpatient appointments."
NHS Grampian stated: "Our region has the smallest number of beds relative to the population in all of Scotland. This factor, combined with growing pressure on hospitals, contributes to longer wait times for medical procedures."
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