Waiting Times
This page has not changed since its previous publication in February 2011.
The current national waiting time standards for cardiac interventions are:
- no patient will wait more than 16 weeks for cardiac intervention following GP referral through rapid access chest pain clinic (RACPC)
- no patient will wait more than 16 weeks for treatment after they have been seen as an outpatient by a heart specialist who has recommended treatment.
Cardiac services are delivered on a regional basis and each region has set local targets for the cardiac journey component parts while ensuring that the total maximum wait meets the national target of 16 weeks.
The monitoring of waiting times, including those for interventions to treat coronary heart disease, was revised from 1st January 2008 when 'New Ways of Defining and Measuring Waiting Times' (termed "New Ways") was introduced. This was a significant change in how NHSScotland collects and defines waiting times, and also how waiting lists are clinically and administratively managed.
For further information on waiting times for cardiac interventions see the web pages of ISD's Waiting Times Programme.
Figures indicating NHSScotland performance against the above cardiac waiting times targets are available from the "Patient Journey - Cardiac" 
[460kb] of the Waiting Times Programme's web pages.
