SNP's attempts to fiddle waiting list figures can't hide truth about NHS from patients like Kieran
The SNP has started excluding patients who miss appointments from waiting lists, thereby bringing the figures down while not actually tackling the problem
Earlier this year, after the SNP government announced it had met its target for child mental health waiting times, my inbox was flooded with emails. My correspondents were parents of children with suspected autism or ADHD who had read the news and did not understand how this target had been met when they had been told it could be years before their own child received a diagnosis.
It later emerged that the Scottish Government had quietly removed neurodivergent children from the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services waiting list. The argument was that this was a mental health pathway designed to serve just a small number of children.
A reasonable position – but not one that solved the issue for the parents who were trying to support children in distress. And where is the alternative pathway for children with suspected ADHD and autism to get a diagnosis and access support?
In one shocking case, I heard from the parents of a four-year-old boy who was non-verbal, and had been waiting more than three years for an autism assessment. Being lost in the system was having a catastrophic effect on his life.
Now the SNP government has once again been accused of fiddling the figures – this time over NHS waiting lists. With nearly one in six Scots on one, reducing waiting times should be one of the SNP’s top priorities.
I have heard from women forced to wait a year for so-called “urgent” gynaecological referrals and nurses raiding their savings to pay for hip operations.
Yet the Sun reported on Sunday that waiting lists are due to fall rapidly. The result of the Scottish Government suddenly using spare theatre capacity? Finding jobs for the resident doctors who are currently facing unemployment?
No, the SNP government is simply excluding anyone who has missed an appointment or is unavailable for a period of time, and resetting their waiting time to zero. This approach will also marginalise patients who are already among the most vulnerable.
Six-year wait for wisdom teeth operation
After all, most people experiencing months of grinding pain will cancel Christmas to get a hip or knee replaced. It’s those who are struggling with their mental health, are overwhelmed with caring responsibilities or find it impossible to take time off work who will fall further down the waiting list.
Then there’s the inevitable bureaucratic mistakes where appointment letters are sent to the wrong address, or arrive after the date in question. Health data should not exist simply to make ministers feel good about themselves. The fact is, however you fiddle the figures, Scots are waiting too long.
Recently I heard from Kieran Whalen, who has spent six years waiting for surgery to have his wisdom teeth removed after a recurring infection was first identified. The infection comes back at least once a month, affecting every part of Kieran’s life, from exercise to his career. He told me: “I want answers — more importantly, I want surgery so I can get on with my life.”
The best way for the SNP to reduce waiting lists is to actually get on with the job instead of fiddling the figures. And if they can’t do it, Scottish Labour will.
Jackie Baillie is MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour’s deputy leader and her party’s spokesperson for health
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