Scots 'forced to wait years' for hernia operations as NHS struggles to meet demand
Scots are being "forced to wait years" for hernia operations as the NHS continues to struggle to meet demand.
Figures uncovered by Scottish Labour found that some patients are waiting up to four years for the procedure.
One patient treated by NHS Grampian waited 1,818 days for an inguinal hernia repair in 2024, while another treated by NHS Ayrshire and Arran waited 1,416 days – more than six times the longest wait at the same health board in 2019.
In every health board for which data was provided, the median completed wait increased between 2019 and 2024. In NHS Lothian and NHS Shetland, the median wait had increased by more than four times over the five years, while in NHS Ayrshire & Arran it had increased by more than three times.
Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour health spokeswoman, said: "Behind these figures are Scots condemned to live with discomfort and pain for no reason other than the SNP's incompetence. Just a few years ago, patients could expect a hernia to be removed within months – now in many cases they are forced to wait years.
"Sadly, under the SNP, hernia patients are just some of the 100,000 waiting for over a year for the treatment they need. Scottish Labour will maximise theatre capacity and free up hospital beds so that patients can get the surgery they need and move on with their lives."
It comes after official figures showed waits of more than two years for NHS specialist appointments and treatment in Scotland have become more common.
Public Health Scotland said the waiting list for those referred to an outpatient clinic more than two years ago was at the highest level it had ever recorded, with the number more than tripling to 5,262.
Government targets to provide treatment within 12 weeks were also still not being met for thousands of patients, with 24 per cent of waits recorded going on for more than a year.
First Minister John Swinney used a set-piece speech in January to pledge to do more to bring down waiting lists. The SNP leader admitted patients were not getting "the right care in the right place at the right time" and warned that waiting times were the "canary in the coal mine".
Swinney pledged the health service would carry out an extra 150,000 appointments and procedures in the coming year.
The SNP Government has made a series of commitments to tackle NHS backlogs since the pandemic. But targets to "eradicate" long waits have been missed with waiting lists and delayed discharge figures hitting record highs.
Audit Scotland previously warned that "difficult decisions" might have to be made about whether the NHS can continue to provide some services.
The Record asked the Scottish Government for comment.
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