A new review has revealed that the average waiting time for NHS 24 calls in Scotland has risen sharply from just nine seconds in 2014 to more than 22 minutes this year.
The report, commissioned by Scottish Labour and led by former Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons president Mike McKirdy, warns that Scotland’s health service is “failing to deliver” despite having more staff, more funding and more policy initiatives than ever before.
McKirdy said he uncovered a central puzzle, demand has remained fairly stable, yet overall NHS activity has fallen since 2018.
He argued that the problems cannot be blamed entirely on the Covid-19 pandemic, stressing that long-standing structural weaknesses were only exposed and worsened by it.
He also highlighted rising staff absences, low morale, and younger workers leaving the system, warning that health workers are increasingly at risk of burnout.
The report noted significant increases in wait times across several services, including radiology and endoscopy, as well as delays in inpatient treatment targets.
McKirdy said Scotland’s NHS needs a relentless focus on delivery and called for stronger investment in GPs, community care, workforce training, and better use of digital tools, including the long-delayed NHS Scotland app.
Scottish Labour said the findings will guide its plans to “fix the NHS,” while the Scottish Conservatives proposed new measures to reduce delayed discharges.
First Minister John Swinney insisted the health service has turned a corner, saying efforts to cut waiting times are beginning to show results.
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