Waiting Times and Waiting Lists to 30th September 2006 (quarterly and annual data)

• Latest quarterly report from ISD Scotland covering waiting times and waiting list numbers for NHS services in Scotland.
• Update of information covering outpatient appointments, inpatient and day case treatment, angiography and revascularisation.
• Information published for the first time regarding waits for key diagnostic services and new information about waits in A&E departments.

Waiting times are important to patients and are a measure of how the NHS is responding to demands for services. Measuring and regular reporting of waiting times highlights where there are delays in the system and enables monitoring of the effectiveness of NHS performance throughout the country. The Scottish Executive Health Department (SEHD) is committed to both reducing waiting times for NHS services in Scotland and to improving information on waiting to provide a clearer, more transparent picture of NHS performance. This summary focuses on the latest figures relating to new outpatient and inpatient/day case waiting times.


Data Sources - Interpretation

• There are two systems for monitoring waiting times, monthly censuses of patients waiting at the end of each month and the reported waiting times of patients who have been seen or treated.
• It is not possible, combining evidence from these two sources, to state with absolute certainty that all patients who were treated between monthly census points waited less than six months. However, from 2008, new ways of defining and measuring waiting times will overcome this difficulty.

Patients waiting - outpatients

• The current national waiting time standard is that patients should not wait longer than 6 months to attend a consultant led new outpatient clinic after being referred by their doctor or dentist. Information from the latest waiting list census suggests close compliance with this standard as no patient with a guarantee had been waiting more than 6 months on 30 September 2006, the same as at 30 June 2006. At 30 September 2005 there had been 12,663 patients waiting more than 6 months.
• The future target (for the end of 2007) is that patients should wait no longer than 18 weeks. The number of patients with a guarantee waiting over 18 weeks at 30 September 2006 was 14,665, an increase of over 3,000 (30%) compared to the position at 30 June 2006, but over 21,000 (59%) down from 30 September 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 standard although 29 patients with a guarantee had been waiting more than 6 months on 30 September 2006 - there were no such patients at 30 June 2006. At 30 September 2005 there had been 1,249 patients waiting more than 6 months
• The future target (for the end of 2007) is that patients should wait no longer than 18 weeks. The number of patients with a guarantee waiting over 18 weeks at 30 September 2006 was 3,365 a reduction of more than 660 (16%) from 30 June 2006, and over 6,300 (65%) down on the position at 30 September 2005.
• The total number on waiting lists for inpatient and day case treatment on 30 September 2006 was recorded as 100,229 of which 33,941 were exempt from waiting time guarantees because they had an Availability Status Code (ASC). This accounts for approximately one third of all patients on the waiting list, and compares with 35,233 of 104,791 at 30 June 2006 and 35,048 of 109,992 at 30 September 2005.

Patients seen - outpatients

• Information about waiting times experienced by patients seen at outpatient departments during the year ending 30 September 2006 indicate continued recent improvement. The 'typical' waiting time of patients with a guarantee, as measured by the median wait, was 51 days for the year ended 30 September 2006 - down from 56 days at 30 September 2005. The 90th percentile wait indicates the maximum time 9 out of every 10 patients waited. For the year ended 30 September 2006 this was 160 days - down from 215 days at 30 September 2005. The proportion of patients seen within 26 weeks increased to 96.2% for the year ended 30 September 2006, continuing the recent trend.

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 an ASC who might otherwise have been treated sooner. Subject to this important qualification, information about waiting times experienced by patients admitted to hospital during the year ending 30 September 2006 indicate that the 'typical' waiting time, as measured by the median wait continues a slight upward trend, whereas the 90th percentile wait and the percentage of patients admitted within 6 months shows continued improvement. The median wait for the year to 30 September 2006 was 46 days, 3 days higher than 30 September 2005. The 90th percentile wait has improved from 197 days at 30 September 2005 to 170 days at 30 September 2006. Similarly, the percentage of patients admitted within 6 months was 88.0% for year ending 30 September 2005 and 92.6 for year ending 30 September 2006.
• As from 2008, new ways of defining and recording waiting times will replace the current system of ASCs with arrangements that take periods of patient unavailability into account when measuring and reporting waiting times and which deal fairly and appropriately with patients who do not attend appointments or who refuse a reasonable offer of an appointment.

Patients waiting - diagnostic tests and investigations

• Information about the numbers who are waiting and the numbers waiting over 9 weeks are published for the first time on the 'Data Development' pages of this website .The national target is to achieve a maximum waiting time of 9 weeks for eight key diagnostic tests and investigations by the end of 2007. At the end of September 2006 a total of 47,243 patients were waiting for these tests and investigations, of whom 7,759 (16%) were recorded as having been waiting more that 9 weeks.

Patients seen - accident and emergency departments

• Details of performance of core A&E sites are published for the first time on the 'Data Development' pages of this website. The national target is that by the end of 2007 98% of patients should spend no longer than 4 hours in A&E departments before being admitted, discharged or transferred. The information shows that in recent months 90% of patients attending A&E departments in Scotland were seen within this target time.

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Main contacts:

Stephen Young
Data Analyst
Tel: 0131 275 6911
Email: stephen.young@isd.csa.scot.nhs.uk

Catriona Haddow
Senior Information Analyst
Tel: 0131 275 6341
Email: catriona.haddow@isd.csa.scot.nhs.uk

Richmond Davies
Outpatient Waiting Times Programme Manager
Tel: 0131 275 6196
Email: richmond.davies@isd.csa.scot.nhs.uk

Andy Carver
Programme Principal Waiting Times
Tel: 0131 275 6134
Email: andy.carver@isd.csa.scot.nhs.uk

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Glossary:
IP - inpatient
DC - day case
OP - outpatient
ASC - availability status code

Publication History:
Last Published: 31/08/2006
Date of first publication: Information on website back to April 1997 for some series
Next Due: 27/02/2007