Statistical Publication Notice

31st August 2006
Waiting Times

ISD today releases the latest information about NHS waiting times in Scotland.  This publication has been revised to include additional content and improve navigation and can be viewed at:

http://www.isdscotland.org/waiting_times

Key points include:

ISD has redesigned the waiting times pages on its website 'Scottish Health Statistics' for the release of this latest information on 31st August 2006. The changes are part of an ongoing process to revise the whole website, improving navigation and using more informative language to allow users quicker access to information.

In addition to these technical improvements a number of changes have been made aimed at improving the range and quality of the information available. These are detailed more fully within the site (click here ), but in summary the key changes are:

• the separation of information about patients waiting and patients who have been seen.
• providing the 90th percentile time (9 out of 10 patients seen within this time) as well as the median wait (half of all patients seen within this time) for patients seen.
• information about patients seen reported on a rolling annual basis instead of by each quarter to minimise the impacts of seasonality and incompleteness of data.
• additional information from monthly censuses instead of just the end of each quarter.

Patients waiting - outpatients

• The current national waiting time standard is that patients should not wait longer than 6 months to attend a consultant led first outpatient clinic after being referred by their doctor or dentist.  Information from the latest waiting list census suggests close compliance with this target as no patient with a guarantee had been waiting more than 6 months on 30 June 2006, the same as at 31 March 2006.  At 30 June 2005 there had been 15,210 patients waiting more than 6 months.  It is not possible from a census, however, to state with absolute certainty that the waiting time target has been achieved for all patients who have been treated between census points.
• The future target (for the end of 2007) is that patients should wait no longer than 18 weeks.  The number of patients waiting over 18 weeks without an ASC at 31 March 2006 was 11,319, a reduction of around 2,000 (15%) compared to the end of March 2006, and more than 20,000 (65%) down from the 32,074 at the end of June 2005.

Patients waiting - inpatients and daycases

• The current national waiting time standard is that patients should not wait longer than 6 months for admission to hospital for treatment. Information from the latest waiting list census suggests close compliance with this target as no patient with a guarantee had been waiting more than 6 months on 30 June 2006, the same as at 31 March 2006.  At 30 June 2005 there had been 1118 patients waiting more than 6 months.  It is not possible from a census, however, to state with absolute certainty that the waiting time target has been achieved for all patients who have been treated between census points.
• The future target (for the end of 2007) is that patients should wait no longer than 18 weeks.   The number of patients waiting over 18 weeks without an ASC at 30th June was 4027 a reduction of more than 2,000 (34%) compared to the end of March 2006, and almost 5,000 (55%) down from the 8,866 at the end of June 2005.
• The total number on waiting lists for inpatient and day case treatment on 30th June 2006 was 104,791 of which 35,233 were exempt from waiting time guarantees because they had an ASC. This accounts for approximately one third of all patients on the waiting list, and compares with 33,869 at the end of March 2006.  The total remains below the 35,910 reported in June 2005.

Patients seen - outpatients

• Information about waiting times experienced by patients seen at outpatient departments during the year ending 30th June 2006 indicated recent improvements in waiting times in that there are downward trends in the median (52 days) and 90th percentile (167 days) waits and upward trends in the percentage seen within 26 and within 18 weeks (94.1% and 79.6% respectively).

Patients seen - inpatients and daycases

• The statistics on the website enable a retrospective look at how long patients, who had been admitted in the last year, were recorded as having waited prior to admission. These statistics include patients who had ASCs (patients who are exempt from the waiting time guarantee, click here ). Information about waiting times experienced by patients admitted to hospital during the year ending 30th June 2006 indicated recent improvements in waiting times in that there are downward trends in the 90th percentile wait (176 days) and upward trends in the percentage seen within 26 and within 18 weeks (91% and 79% respectively), although there is a small increase in the median wait to 45 days.

Patients seen - Accident & Emergency Departments

• The future (end 2007) target is that patients will spend no longer than 4 hours between arriving at the A&E unit and admission, discharge or transfer, unless there are stated clinical reasons for keeping the patient in the unit. During the 7-day A&E Waiting Times Survey nearly 30,000 patients attended A&E. 88% of patients were discharged, admitted or transferred within 4 hours. The main reasons for delay where patients spent more than 4 hours in A&E were waiting for a bed (31% of recorded reasons), and waiting for first assessment (20% of recorded reasons).

Stephen Young
Healthcare Information Group
Tel:    0131 275 6911 (direct)
e-mail: stephen.young@isd.csa.scot.nhs.uk

David Murphy
Healthcare Information Group
Tel:    0131 275 6624 (direct)
e-mail: david.murphy@isd.csa.scot.nhs.uk

Catriona Haddow
Healthcare Information Group
Tel:    0131 275 6341 (direct)
e-mail: catriona.haddow@isd.csa.scot.nhs.uk

Main contact: Stephen Young

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