New figures from Public Health Scotland reveal that the NHS in Scotland carried out 997,138 inpatient and day case procedures between 2021 and 2026, falling short of the 1,238,000 promised. This shortfall of 240,862 procedures has led Scottish Labour to accuse the SNP of broken promises.
SNP pledge falls short
The SNP made a pledge in 2021 to increase the number of procedures above pre-pandemic levels to tackle lengthy waiting lists. However, the data shows the party failed to deliver on this commitment over the four-year period.
NHS waiting lists remain high, with thousands of patients still waiting years for treatment. Scottish Labour has warned that the SNP must change course and deliver on its 2026 election promises.
Labour criticism
Scottish Labour health spokesperson Jackie Baillie said: "Scots are being badly let down by the SNP’s broken promises. If the SNP had stuck to its word, thousands more people would have been treated."
She added: "The SNP must break the habit of a lifetime and start delivering on its pledges. We need a real plan to boost the number of procedures taking place and drive down NHS waiting lists for good."
Government response
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "Long waits are unacceptable and while significant progress has been made on waiting times – with new outpatient waits of over 52 weeks falling for 13 consecutive months and the number of appointments and procedures taking place increasing by 168,000 last year - we need this to continue."
The spokesperson added: "Progress includes making healthcare as accessible as possible and virtual consultations work better for some patients. The First Minister has announced £90 million of funding to support those waiting the longest for treatment and has made it clear he expects to see health boards using this investment to accelerate progress on waiting times with month-on-month reductions."
Figures published in January showed more than 50,000 open waits of 52 weeks or longer. A government report from March acknowledged that not every patient waiting over a year would receive treatment by March 2026, but stated that health boards should communicate with patients and set clear timeframes.
