The tables below present a summary of waiting times information on patients covered by the national waiting times standard set by the Scottish Government. That is, Scottish residents waiting or admitted for NHS treatment as an inpatient or day case (the specialties of mental health and obstetrics are excluded).

The national standard is for inpatients and day cases to be admitted for treatment within 18 weeks of being placed on the waiting list from 31 December 2007. This will be reduced to 15 weeks from 31 March 2009.

Waiting times are adjusted to deduct periods where the patient is unavailable (e.g. for medical or social reasons). Patients who cancel or don't attend an appointment have their waiting times clock reset to zero. Further information .

Two tables are published - one showing information on patients waiting for treatment and the other showing information on patients who have been admitted for treatment. Further information is available on why both measures are published.

The table below shows information on the length of time that patients still on a waiting list have been waiting at month-end census dates. These figures are currently used by NHS boards to measure performance against Scottish Government waiting times standards.

NHSSCOTLAND: SUMMARY OF WAITING TIMES FOR INPATIENT OR DAY CASE ADMISSION
ONGOING WAITS FOR PATIENTS ON WAITING LIST

			Census date
Indicator			31-Mar-08		30-Apr-08		31-May-08		30-Jun-08
Number on list			62 481		63 016		65 298		67 059
Of which:	Number waiting over 18 weeks		20		15		15		15
	Number waiting over 15 weeks		1 899		1 553		1 666		1 668

Source: Waiting Times Data Warehouse

_{NHS Boards report that the number of patients waiting over 15 weeks and 18 weeks vary according to local systems.  At 31st March, patients waiting over 18 weeks was 16, the number waiting over 18 weeks at 30th April was 7, the number waiting over 18 weeks at 31st May was 12 and the number waiting over 18 weeks at 30th June was 7. These figures are currently used by the Scottish Government for measuring national performance against waiting times.}

_{Some NHS boards have reported that figures reported are inaccurate for patients waiting over 15 weeks and 18 weeks. Locally reported figures for patients waiting over 18 weeks are included in the link below.}

Comparable information by NHS board of treatment is available below:

• Inpatient or day case ongoing waits for patients on waiting list, information for NHSScotland and NHS board of treatment (census dates 31 Mar 2008, 30 Apr 2008, 31 May 2008, 30 Jun 2008)

More detailed analyses are available in the Patients Waiting section.

The table below shows information on the length of time patients waited before being seen.

NHSSCOTLAND: SUMMARY OF WAITING TIMES FOR INPATIENT OR DAY CASE ADMISSION
COMPLETED WAITS FOR PATIENTS SEEN

			Quarter ending
Indicator			31-Mar-08		30-Jun-08
Number seen			92 694		94 941
Of which:	Number waiting over 18 weeks		597		586
	Number waiting over 15 weeks		8 482		7 291

Source: Waiting Times Data Warehouse

_{Some boards have reported that their figures are inaccurate.  Locally reported figures are included in the link below.}

Comparable information by NHS board of treatment is available below:

• Inpatient or day case admissions summary of waiting times for completed waits for patients seen: information for NHSScotland and NHS board of treatment (quarters ending 31 Mar 2008, 30 Jun 2008)

More detailed analyses are available in the Patients Seen section.