Operations activity stagnating below pre-pandemic levels

Responding to Public Health Scotland figures published today which show that the number of planned operations is still falling short of pre-pandemic levels, with 15.2% fewer operations planned between December 2023 and November 2024 than were planned in the 12 months prior to the pandemic, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:

“Behind every cancelled operation is a patient who has been left in pain and worried if they will ever get the treatment they need. This SNP government is failing them.

“These figures are yet more evidence of the dangerous backlogs and pressures that we know the NHS is under. The Health Secretary must rewrite the failed NHS Recovery Plan because after three years staff are overwhelmed and the system is clearly going backwards on so many measures.”