SNP calls on Audit Scotland to investigate

SNP Depute Leader Nicola Sturgeon MSP today (Tuesday) published figures which show that 17,467 people have waited more than nine months for day care or inpatient treatment in Scottish hospitals.

Ms Sturgeon said that the new figures obtained from ISD - which relate to patient figures at March 31st, 2005 - also show the Health Minister's claim that no patient waited more than nine months for treatment was little more than a smokescreen of spin.  

Ms Sturgeon said:

"It is an absolute disgrace that nearly 17,500 people are being forced to wait for more than nine months on waiting lists for treatment.

"This is another case of the Health Minister trying to deceive the public by fiddling the figures and hiding behind a smokescreen of spin.

"These figures clearly expose Andy Kerr's claim that no patient is on a waiting list for more than nine months as a cruel deception.

"It is only by manipulating the figures and excluding one third of the patients on waiting lists that Mr Kerr can achieve this deceitful trick.

"Three years ago the Auditor General told the Executive to clean up its act on waiting lists and waiting times. They have failed.

"The Executive has continued the practice of putting people on their hidden waiting list, which has grown by more than 7000 in the last year.

"I will now be writing to Audit Scotland to ask for a new investigation."
 
NOTES

AVAILABILITY STATUS CODES AND WAITING LISTS

PEOPLE IN SCOTLAND WAITING FOR HOSPITAL TREATMENT

1. The figures reveal that 35,471 patients are waiting on Scotland's hidden waiting lists, with 24,415 waiting more than 6 months, 17,467 waiting more than nine months and 12,515 waiting more than a year. Since June 2003 when ASCs came into being the number of patients with an ASC has increased by 7,122 (25%).
 
2. In June 2002 Audit Scotland issued the report 'Review of the management of waiting lists in Scotland' which produced a series of recommendations, particularly with regard to deferred waiting lists, and concluded: "Audit Scotland may revisit this issue in future to ensure that recommendations for improving the management of waiting lists have been implemented."

3. Deferred waiting lists were abolished in 2003 and replaced by Availability Status Codes (ASC) which included all those on the old deferred waiting lists plus those with a guarantee exception code.

4. At March 2005 the number of patients with an ASC was 35,471 which represented 32% of the total waiting list. This compares with a figure of 26,000 on the deferred waiting list in December 2001

5. It is noticeable that the number of patients with an ASC has grown while the overall waiting list figure has been fairly stable. Indeed in the last quarter the total waiting list has fallen by 1,600 while the number of patients with an ASC has increased by 2,670.

6. While the number of patients with an ASC has increased by 6,522 during the last year, the number of patients waiting for treatment for more than six months (without an ASC) has fallen by over 4,000.

7. The substantial growth of the number of patients with an ASC since the abolition of the deferred waiting list in 2003, and the fact that nearly one in three waiting list patients now have an ASC make it essential that Audit Scotland re-examine the management of waiting lists.  


These official figures were provided to the SNP by ISD Scotland.