Latest Public Health Scotland figures consistent fall in wait times for outpatient, inpatient and day case appointments.
The Scottish government has shared the latest stats from Public Health Scotland on NHS waiting times. They show continued progress on efforts to tackle the issue of people waiting more than a year for appointments.
Of course, the sooner health conditions can be identified and treated, the better the prognosis – so long wait times for appointments are a serious risk to public health.
The new figures show that the number of new outpatient waits for over a year have decreased for 11 consecutive months. The figure for such waits as of April 30, 2026, was 7.0% less than for the previous month. Wait times have fallen every month since July 2025, with a total reduction in waits of more than a year falling 76.5% in that period.
Inpatient and daycase waits of more than a year have fallen for 15 months in a row, with a total reduction of 47.4% since July 2025.
Still, some people are still waiting more than a year for appointments. The figures show that there are fewer of them, but that anyone is waiting that long is a serious concern.
In addition, waits for one of the eight key diagnostic tests are now at their lowest level since May 2021. In the latest quarterly figures, up to March 31, 2026 waits for endoscopy were down by 6% and for radiology by 10% compared to the previous quarter. Waits of over a year fell sharply, with endoscopy down 67% and radiology down 4% compared to March 2025.
Indeed, 52% of endoscopy tests and 78% of radiology tests had been ongoing for less than six weeks, the highest figure for both test types since March 2020.
Last year, the Scottish government pledged to provide 150,000 new NHS appointments to tackle the backlog. The latest data shows that target has been more than surpassed, with 168,177 additional appointments and procedures carried out in the financial year up to March 2026 compared to the same period in the previous year.
In just the first nine months of 2025-26, some 34,089 procedures were carried out in National Treatment Centres, surpassing the target of 30,000.
Angela Constance MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Care, says: ‘These new figures show our plan is delivering for the people of Scotland. We are seeing sustained decreases in waits of over a year with 11 consecutive months of progress in new outpatient waits and inpatient and daycase procedures reducing for 15 months in a row. We have seen significant decreases in waits over a year in these time periods with more and more people getting the treatment they need.
‘On top of this progress, new data shows we surpassed our pledges to provide additional appointments last year – with 168,177 extra appointments and procedures delivered. This is testament to the hard work of our NHS staff across Scotland and I thank them for their continued outstanding efforts.
‘We know there is more to do, and I am determined to continue to build on this substantial progress and ensure people receive the treatment they need as soon as possible.’
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