NHS waiting list in England is longer per head by quarter of a million patients and shockingly twice as long in Wales, than in Scotland

Professor John Robertson OBA

MSM Monitor, fast and effective as always, demolished the claims of Baillie and Sarwar yesterday.

What are the most recent waiting list figures?

  • Scotland – 718 000 pathways
  • England – 7 410 000
  • Wales – 796 000

So, with 10 times the population, England might be expected to have 10 times as many as Scotland or 7 180 000 but has 230 000 more.

With just over half (0.57%) of the population, Wales might be expected to just over half of the waiting list length, 400 000 at most, of Scotland but actually has nearly 400 000 more than that.

Sources:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mi-nhse-waiting-list-minimum-data-set/for-week-ending-31-august-2025 https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/nhs-waiting-times-stage-of-treatment/stage-of-treatment-waiting-times-inpatients-day-cases-and-new-outpatients-quarter-ending-30-june-2025/ https://statswales.gov.wales/Catalogue/Health-and-Social-Care/NHS-Hospital-Waiting-Times

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4 thoughts on “NHS waiting list in England is longer per head by quarter of a million patients and shockingly twice as long in Wales, than in Scotland”

  1. Comparatively better public services in Scotland? Surely not!

    From a Guardian editorial (October 9, 2025): ‘The Guardian view on the nationalist surge: the SNP and Plaid Cymru are making the political weather’

    ‘An SNP victory in May’s Holyrood contest would hardly be an earthquake, after 18 continuous years of nationalist government. It would, though, signal a remarkable comeback from a period of eclipse, and from an often dismal record on public services.’

    The latter assertion is made free of evidence never mind context or perspective or benchmarks. Just claptrap!

    The ‘esteemed’ Guardian may well hold that it plays a very important role in democratic society, including supplying voters with the information they need to make informed choices, for example, about how they are going to vote in an election. Just not in Scotland if there is a risk of amplifying anything positive about the present Scottish Government!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
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  4. Pingback: Corridor care shocking 4 times as common in Labour Wales than in SNP Scotland to cast serious doubt on whether Scottish Labour’s Jackie Baillie could cope as Health Secretary – Talking-up Scotland

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