5-YEAR WAIT FOR HIP OPS ON NHS

SNP accused of 'putting Scots' lives on hold for years'

- BY RECORD REPORTER

SCOTS are waiting half a decade for knee and hip operations despite First Minister John Swinney claiming the NHS has "turned a corner".

One patient in Tayside endured 2049 days – five-and-a-half years – before having a hip replacement while another in the Highlands waited 1786 days.

Patients suffering crippling knee pain faced similar delays, with someone in the Highlands waiting 1868 days - also more than five years.

The median wait for a hip or knee replacement in 2024-25 in five out of 14 health boards was more than a year.