Thousands of Scots are facing painful and dangerous long waits for hernia treatment, Scottish Labour has warned today.
Statistics obtained by Scottish Labour have shown that the shocking scale of waits experienced by hernia patients with too many having to wait for hundreds of days for treatment.
Public Health Scotland statistics have revealed that ongoing waits for hernia surgery have risen by some 98 per cent since 2018/19. The median wait for patients currently awaiting surgery is four times higher than it was at the end of 2018/19, while some patients in recent years have waiting over two years for treatment.
Despite these long waits, capacity has still not reached pre-pandemic levels with 39% fewer completed waits in 2022/23 compared to 2018/19.
Scottish Labour has today said that these shocking waits are leaving people across Scotland to struggle in pain unnecessarily for months on end.
“That waits of over two years have been recorded and that the problem is spread across the country is simply unacceptable.
“Make no mistake – the SNP’s failure to support our hardworking NHS workers and clinicians is failing those in need of hernia treatment.
“It’s high time that Michael Matheson put down the iPad and got to work.”
| Financial Year | |||||||
| 2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24* | % change 18/19 to 23/24 | |
| Number of additions to list | 5,871 | 5,524 | 2,486 | 3,643 | 4,269 | 1,117 | |
| Number of completed waits | 4,958 | 4,659 | 1,407 | 2,528 | 3,015 | 875 | -39%** |
|
77 | 72 | 153 | 164 | 178 | 125 | 62% |
|
237 | 252 | 412 | 646 | 844 | 704 | 197% |
| Number of ongoing waits | 1,711 | 1,699 | 2,380 | 2,856 | 3,335 | 3,384 | 98% |
|
48 | 66 | 174 | 195 | 187 | 196 | 308% |
|
290 | 244 | 541 | 791 | 684 | 668 | 130% |
* The data is to 30 June 2023.
** Compares percentage change from 2018/19 to 2022/23