Scotland’s NHS is delivering more appointments and beginning to bring down waiting lists, even as new figures show that NHS England now has more people waiting for treatment than the entire population of Scotland.
At the end of August, 7.41 million people were on NHS waiting lists in England, marking the third consecutive monthly rise.
In contrast, the Scottish Government says record investment is helping to reduce pressure on services, with an additional 213,000 appointments and procedures carried out so far this year.
First Minister John Swinney recently unveiled plans to open new walk-in GP clinics across Scotland, aimed at reducing waiting times and making services more accessible.
Seamus Logan MP, the SNP’s Westminster spokesperson for Health and Social Care, said the contrast highlights the benefits of continued Scottish Government investment.
“Labour politicians who continually talk down Scotland’s NHS would do well to look at the facts and look in the mirror,” said Mr Logan.
“Under a Labour government at Westminster, NHS waiting lists in England have skyrocketed, with more people now awaiting treatment than the total population of Scotland.”
The Scottish Government has also reported a rise in the number of GPs and paramedics, further strengthening the NHS workforce.
Mr Logan said the SNP’s approach was about action, not blame.
“Under John Swinney’s leadership, the SNP has made investing in public services one of its top priorities with record funding for the NHS in Scotland,” he said.
“We are seeing the results with waiting lists starting to come down, a record number of appointments and procedures, and the number of GPs and paramedics rising.”
He added that new walk-in clinics would “further ease the strain on services and make it easier for people to get the treatment they need, when they need it.”
While NHS pressures remain across the UK, the Scottish Government is positioning its approach as a model of sustained investment and service reform.
