A confidential NHS blueprint proposes moving Scotland’s orthopaedic waiting-time standard from 12 weeks to 26 weeks by 2031. The existing 12-week target has a statutory guarantee; the longer standard is set out in a draft plan, not a confirmed change.
The five-year plan puts the cost of restoring the 12-week guarantee at £401 million. It proposes bringing more operations together at regional specialist hubs and National Treatment Centres, meaning some people awaiting hip or knee surgery would need to travel further.
Its projections show that, at the end of March 2027, over 4,100 people awaiting orthopaedic care under the Treatment Time Guarantee would have spent more than a year waiting. The draft also recommends a public campaign to explain the proposed travel arrangements.
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