Over 75,000 surgeries and procedures were delivered between April 2024 and January 2025, around 11,500 more than pledged.

Health secretary Neil Gray said: ‘This is a good start, however, we know many people are still waiting too long. We are determined do more and our 2025-26 Budget, with cross-party support now agreed, will provide a record £21.7bn for health – including £200m to help clear waiting list backlogs, improve capacity and reduce delayed discharge.

‘This record funding will help us ensure no one waits more than 12 months for a new outpatient appointment or inpatient/daycase treatment by March 2026. We will also deliver over 150,000 extra appointments and procedures in the coming year which will ensure people receive the care they need as quickly as possible.'

A report by the IFS published today says the Budget plans for 2025-26 imply a real-terms freeze in spending.

The DHSC said the investment had delivered a significant reduction in waiting lists, including: a 44% decrease in imaging waits at NHS Fife; a 22% decrease in urology waits at NHS Forth Valley; a 19% decrease in ear, nose and throat waits at NHS Highland; an almost 15% decrease in ophthalmology waits at NHS Lanarkshire; and an almost 10% decrease in general surgery waits at NHS Lothian.

Funding also helped reduce the total national waiting list size between April 2024 and September 2024 for imaging by 7.5% and for scopes by 7.3%.

In April 2024, the Scottish Government funded NHS boards to deliver 64,000 procedures (40,000 diagnostic procedures, 12,000 surgeries and 12,000 new outpatient appointments) by March 2025. By January 2025, 56,500 diagnostic procedures, almost 9,200 surgeries and over 9,800 outpatient appointments took place.

Latest published data also shows a rise in planned care activity between April 2024 and September 2024 compared to the same period in 2023 – with an 8.3% increase in inpatient/daycase procedures and a 2.5% increase for new outpatient appointments.