John Swinney to announce £25m more in NHS funding to reduce waiting times faced by Scots patients

EXCLUSIVE: The extra cash will be shared across the nine health boards suffering from the biggest backlogs.

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John Swinney will announce today an additional £25.5 million of NHS funding to deliver more appointments in an attempt to bring down waiting times.

The cash will be shared across nine health boards - including Greater Glasgow and Lothian - which are suffering from the biggest backlogs at a time around one in six Scots are currently stuck on some kind of health waiting list.

The First Minister previously announced a plan to open a network of new GP walk-in centres to reduce the 8am rush patients often face to book an appointment at their local surgery.

The first such facility is expected to open within the next 12 months.

The £25.5m of new funding announced today will be used to support more hospital procedures in specialities like orthopaedics, cardiology and general surgery.

Speaking ahead of a visit to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, Swinney said: "The latest figures show our plan to support Scotland’s NHS is working, delivering real benefits for patients.

"We have already provided £110 million of additional targeted funding this year to tackle the longest waits. Now we are providing a further boost to deliver more appointments and procedures, taking the total additional funding to £135.5 million for 2025-26.

"I am determined to build on the progress being achieved by hardworking staff in our health service, like those at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. We want to help them provide the care and treatment patients need and expect – and we are already seeing results.

"Not only are the total list size and longest waits coming down, but we are treating more people than last year. There is still work to be done, but these are very welcome improvements.

"Under my leadership, the people of Scotland can expect a strong National Health Service delivering patient care of the highest possible quality."

Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour health spokeswoman, said: "John Swinney and the SNP have an absolutely disgraceful track record when it comes to reducing waiting times.

"It has been five years since the Scottish Government met its own four-hour target on A&E waits, with thousands of Scots still having to endure agonising waits before being seen.

"Instead of addressing the problem, SNP ministers have shamefully attempted to pull the wool over the eyes of Scots by fiddling the figures in a desperate bid to cover up for their failure to take action.

"When John Swinney visits the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital today, he should apologise to the patients and staff there for the appalling job that his government has done overseeing our health service, leaving patients seeking help and staff burned out.

"Only Scottish Labour will restore our health service and offer Scots the chance to take a new direction at the Holyrood election next year."

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