STV giving the 6th biggest, ie teeny, party, the Lib Dems, a platform for another of their attempts to mislead.
No health service anywhere, meets waiting time targets like those the NHS across the UK imposes on itself – 95% on time. Anywhere I’ve read more on targets, in Europe and in North America or in Australia and New Zealand, I find the targets seen as aspirational and failure to hit them of little concern to media or opposition politicians.
Here’s what the Lib Dems and STV are missing:
NHS Scotland cancer treatment facing massive increase in referrals since pandemic yet performing better than then and saving thousands who would have been delayed in NHS England
From Cancer waiting times 1 January to 31 March 2026 published 30 June 2026:
There were 4,668 eligible referrals where the 62-day standard applied, a decrease of 2.7% from the previous quarter, but an increase of 25.4% from the quarter ending 31 December 2019, the last full quarter pre‑pandemic. 72.2% of patients started treatment within 62 days, compared with 72.6% in the previous quarter.
There were 7,225 eligible referrals where the 31-day standard applied, a decrease of 2.0% from the previous quarter, but an increase of 13.1% from the quarter ending 31 December 2019. 94.5% of patients started treatment within 31 days, compared with 95.6% in the previous quarter, and 96.5% in the quarter ending 31 December 2019.
Before we go any further, see a big news story there being total ignored? There were 25.4% more referred under the 62-day standard and 13.1% more referred under the 31-day standard than had been in the days before the pandemic at the end of 2019. Performance at the end of 2019 had been 83.7% and 96.5%. They had 25% and 13% fewer patients and yet did not perform, I’d guess, 25% and 13% better.
NHS England does not publish quarterly data for comparison but does provide annual figures:
For NHS England:
62-day Combined Standard – 12-month average for 2025: 69.4% .
31-day Combined Standard 12-month average for 2025: 91.8%.
NHS Scotland annual data can be produced from the supplementary file table and from them we get for 2025, 70.5% and 95% respectively.
Analysis
BBC Scotland and many ornery Joes will say there is little difference there but even the 1.1 difference for the 62-day target is 1% of the around 20 000 who were referred – 200 people who were treated on time who would not have been had they lived in England.
As for the 31-day target, that 3.2% is of around 30 000 referred or 10 000 who were treated on time who would not have been had they lived in England.
Sources:
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