Martin Whitfield MSP has hit out at the SNP Scottish Government’s failed NHS recovery plan, as it is revealed that 111,859 people in NHS Lothian are currently stuck on a waiting list.

Of these, a shocking 11,313 have been waiting more than a year for treatment.

Across Scotland, one in nine Scots are languishing on an NHS waiting list – of which a staggering 59,725 have been waiting more than a year. Mr Whitfield called these figures a “disaster” for local people waiting for treatment.

Martin Whitfield MSP said:

“These astounding figures are nothing short of a disaster for Lothian patients, exposing once and for all what an abject failure the SNP’s NHS Recovery Plan has been.

“Staff across the region are working tirelessly to make ends meet and deliver the best possible standard of care, but they simply cannot keep up. Thousands of people waiting more than a year for basic healthcare undermines the fundamental principles of our NHS.

“The SNP failed to deliver a successful catch-up programme while Covid rates were lower, meaning that services across the NHS Lothian area were already stretched to breaking point before the new variant hit.

“Now we are in the midst of a full-scale crisis, with more than 11,000 patients in Lothian languishing on waiting lists for over a year and counting. The Health Secretary must get a grip on this ticking timebomb and deliver a recovery plan that is truly fit for purpose.”