SICKENER FOR SCOTS AS NHS DELAYS ROCKET

THE number of patients waiting more than 78 weeks for treatment in Scotland has rocketed to 38,070 while in England the figure has halved to just 1154.

- BY JOHN FERGUSON

The shocking statistic means 33 times more people are being forced to endure excruciating long delays north of the Border.

It comes as NHS England launches a 10-year recovery plan along with an updated app allowing patients to book appointments and even visit an “AI doctor”.

Dr Zubir Ahmed, a surgeon turned Labour MP for Glasgow South West, said: “After a 20-year career as a surgeon in the NHS the majority of it working in Govan - I have seen the Scottish NHS at its best and now at its worst.

“Scotland’s NHS has seen the 31-day and 62-day cancer waiting times standards missed, 860,000 Scots are stuck on NHS waiting lists for tests with a third considering private treatment.

“In the words of the esteemed chair of the BMA Dr Iain Kennedy, 'the figures show that the NHS is dying before our very eyes'.