NHS Scotland crisis: Number of patients waiting to see cardiologist breaks record for second time amid 'deeply worrying' NHS Lothian figures

The NHS cardiology outpatient waiting time data, collected and published by Public Health Scotland (PHS), has shown another increase in the number of people waiting to see a cardiologist in Scotland.

Cardiology outpatient numbers in NHS Lothian are “especially worrying”, according to the British Heart Foundation (BHF), with numbers rising from 923 to 3,104 since 2020. More than 1,800 people have been waiting more than 12 weeks for an outpatient cardiology appointment, and 133 people have been waiting more than a year.

In NHS Lanarkshire, 3,428 people were waiting for an outpatient cardiology appointment in September last year with 69.7 per cent of these having been waiting for longer than the Scottish Government target time of 12 weeks. The statistics are delayed by several months, meaning the latest snapshot comes from December.

It shows the number of people on waiting lists at that point in time was 23,585, up by around 500 from September last year, which was previously the highest number on record.

Between March 2019 and September 2023, the number of people waiting for an outpatient appointment rose from 8,562 to 23,027. In the last year alone, the waiting list has grown by more than 5,000.

Heart and circulatory diseases cause nearly three in ten (29 per cent) deaths in Scotland, or over 18,000 deaths each year.

The BHF has forecast the health burden of heart and circulatory diseases (CVD) will increase by 34 per cent between 2019 and 2043 – the highest increase of all disease groups.

David McColgan, head of BHF Scotland, said: “Yet again, the numbers have risen, but each of these equate to a person whose life is potentially on-hold while they wait for treatment.

“Cardiology services are under more pressure than ever, but these figures clearly show that unacceptable delays are endemic across the NHS in Scotland. Not only are there more people affected by heart disease on waiting lists than ever before, but they are also waiting for longer.

“The Scottish Government needs to urgently act to prioritise the people living with one of Scotland’s biggest killers.”

The figures for NHS Lothian come after the health board recorded a 4 per cent increase last year in outpatient referrals.

Jim Crombie, deputy chief executive for NHS Lothian, said: “In line with figures across Scotland, the number of patients being referred for cardiology outpatient appointments has continued to rise in NHS Lothian following the pandemic, as it has for other health boards.

“Our teams work extremely hard to meet this increasing demand, prioritise urgent referrals and reduce waiting times. We monitor waiting times closely and have made improvements to our service by maximising our clinic capacity and implementing a service redesign. As the second largest health board in Scotland, with the fastest growing population, referrals to our services, including cardiology are much higher.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The rate of newly occurring cases and also of deaths from coronary heart disease has declined over the last decade. However, the gradual increase in deaths over the past four years reinforces the importance of continued action

“Our 2021 Heart Disease Action Plan sets out actions to minimise preventable heart disease and ensure people with suspected heart disease have timely and equitable access to diagnosis, treatment and care. We are making progress in these actions including developing pathways and using data to drive improvements.

“The Scottish Government remains determined to drive down waiting times and is working with boards to reduce long waits exacerbated by the impacts of the global pandemic.”