NHS waiting times - 18 weeks referral to treatment
Quarter ending 30 June 2024

About this release

This release by Public Health Scotland (PHS) reports on completed patient pathways that are fully measurable against the 18 weeks Referral to Treatment (RTT) standard (90% of patients being treated within 18 weeks of referral) up to 30 June 2024. A fully measurable patient pathway refers to patient journeys where it has been possible for the NHS Board treating the patient to link all stages of the patient's journey and measure the time from the initial referral to the start of treatment.

Please note that a patient may be on more than one pathway for treatment at the same time and so the number of completed journeys reported is not the same as the number of individual patients treated.

Main points

During the quarter ending 30 June 2024:

• 282,673 patient pathways were completed under this standard when the patient involved either received the results of a diagnostic test, was seen at an outpatient appointment clinic, or were admitted for treatment as an inpatient or day case. The number of completed patient pathways was 6.7% (+17,698) higher when compared to the quarter ending June 2023 but remains 10.1% lower than the same quarter in 2019 (314,604) which was prior to COVID-19 emergency measures being introduced.
• There was variation in the change in activity at NHS Board level. The largest percentage increases in completed pathways when comparing to quarter ending June 2023 were in NHS Lanarkshire (+22.6%, +5,796), NHS Fife (+18.1%, +3,100), and NHS Forth Valley (+14.6%, +2,378). In contrast, decreases were seen in NHS Orkney (-4.3%, -63), and NHS Great Glasgow & Clyde (-2.2%, -1,579).
• Despite an overall increase in activity this quarter, there was monthly variation. April 2024 saw activity stay at similar levels compared to March 2024, with an increase of only 124 (+0.1%). A larger increase in activity in May when the number of completed waits rose by +8,129 (+8.8%). This was followed by a large decrease (-9.5%, -9,498) in June 2024.
• Of all pathways completed, 85.7% (242,384) were fully measurable against the 18-week standard. 68.1% (164,983) of these pathways were completed within 18 weeks of referral, an increase from 65.5% in the previous quarter. However, this is lower than the 69.6% (157,952) observed a year previously in the quarter ending June 2023.

A graph showing the trend of completed patient pathways and percentage of completed patient pathways against the 18 weeks Referral to Treatment (RTT) standard, NHSScotland, September 2019 to June 2024.

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Total number of completed patient pathways and percentage of completed patient pathways against the 18 weeks Referral to Treatment (RTT) standard, NHSScotland, September 2019 to June 2024

Background

The 18 Weeks RTT standard applies to the entire patient journey from the initial referral to the start of treatment. Achieving the standard depends on waiting times for diagnostic tests, outpatient appointments, and inpatient and day case treatment. 18 Weeks RTT performance is based on adjusted waits for consultant led treatments and fully measurable completed patient journeys.

Please note that data submitted since the onset of the pandemic may not have undergone the usual levels of quality assurance. There are also gaps in the data; NHS Tayside were unable to submit data for the period July 2017 to December 2017. NHS Grampian were also unable to submit data for the period February 2020 to June 2022, however they have recommenced from July 2022 onwards.

Further information

Data about this publication are available from the publication page on our website.

Open data from this publication are available from the Scottish Health and Social Care Open Data platform.

The next release of this publication will be 26 November 2024.

NHS Performs

A selection of information from this publication is included in NHS Performs, a website that brings together a range of information on how hospitals and NHS Boards within NHSScotland are performing.