Long NHS waits fall for sixth month, figures show

Public Health Scotland reports a 12.8% drop in patients waiting more than 52 weeks for outpatient appointments between October and November 2025, marking a sixth monthly fall; the Scottish Government says levels are now lower than in April and aims for no patient to wait over 52 weeks by March 2026.

Long waits on the NHS in Scotland have fallen for the sixth month in a row, according to Public Health Scotland. The agency reported a 12.8% reduction in the number of patients waiting more than 52 weeks for an outpatient appointment between October and November 2025. The Scottish Government said those numbers are now lower than in April, and it also reported reductions in inpatient and day-case waits compared with April. Health Secretary Neil Gray linked the change to £135.5 million in targeted funding and restated a commitment that no patient will wait longer than 52 weeks by March 2026. Key figures: - Public Health Scotland reported a 12.8% fall in patients waiting over 52 weeks for outpatient appointments between October and November 2025. - The government said the number waiting over 52 weeks is lower than in April 2025, and inpatient/day-case 52-week waits have also fallen compared with April. - The waiting list for new outpatient appointments fell by 6% between April and November 2025. - In the year to November 2025 there were about 265,000 inpatient-day procedures (up 3.8%) and roughly 1.3 million outpatient appointments (up 2.8% year on year). Summary: Officials described the latest data as evidence of sustained progress in reducing long waits and pointed to targeted funding as a factor. The Scottish Government says levels are below April figures and has set a goal that no patient will wait longer than 52 weeks by March 2026. Opposition figures said the pledged deadline remains under threat.