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Neil Gray ‘determined’ to cut NHS waits as health boards get £106m


By PA News



Health Secretary Neil Gray insisted he is “determined” to reduce long waits for patients as he told how more than £100 million of Scottish Government cash should allow for an extra 150,000 appointments and procedures to be carried out this year.

As part of a £200 million investment already promised by First Minister John Swinney to boost capacity in the NHS, Mr Gray said more than £106 million had already been allocated to health boards to help reduce the longest waits.

The money comes after data from Public Health Scotland showed that as of March 31 this year there are an estimated 629,632 people on NHS waiting lists – the equivalent of about one in nine people.

We are determined to reduce patient waits in the year ahead
Health Secretary Neil Gray

The latest funding is being focused on those specialities and areas where it can have the greatest impact on long waits, the Scottish Government said.

This will see £25 million go towards trauma and orthopaedics, £21 million for imaging – such as CT and MRI scans – along with £14 million for cancer treatment and more than £12 million for ophthalmology.

Speaking about the cash, Mr Gray said it would help the NHS “deliver more than 150,000 extra appointments and procedures in 2025-26”.

It comes after waits for NHS care built up following the Covid pandemic, with Holyrood ministers coming under frequent fire for the time it can take for people to be treated.

Mr Gray said the Scottish Government is “focused on taking the action needed to cut waiting lists”.

Neil Gray said the latest funding would allow for more than 150,000 additional appointments and procedures in 2025-26 (Andrew Milligan/PA)
Neil Gray said the latest funding would allow for more than 150,000 additional appointments and procedures in 2025-26 (Andrew Milligan/PA)

He added that “significant activity is already under way through this additional investment which will help us target the longest waits for treatment”.

The Health Secretary continued: “We are determined to reduce patient waits in the year ahead and this £106 million of additional funding will help us to deliver more than 150,000 extra appointments and procedures in 2025-26.

“This funding is just part of our record investment of £21.7 billion for health and social care this year.”

Mr Gray added that health boards had “vastly exceeded” last year’s target to provide 64,000 additional appointments and procedures, with in excess of 105,000 being delivered.

The latest investment, he said, would allow the Scottish Government to “build on this progress and deliver tangible improvements for patients”.

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