Waiting times to reach the NHS 24 helpline have sky-rocketed, according to research by the Scottish Conservatives.
The longest wait was over four hours, which Scottish Conservative health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane described as “shocking”.
New statistics obtained by the party revealed that average wait times for NHS 24 have increased by 67 per cent in a year.
From 2023 to 2024, the average wait rose from around 12 minutes to 21 minutes.
Freedom of Information responses to the Scottish Conservatives also uncovered that over 100,000 calls to the helpline were abandoned before an operator could respond.
Scottish Conservative shadow cabinet secretary for health Dr Sandesh Gulhane MSP said: “The SNP’s neglect of our health service over the last 17 years means waiting times to be connected to NHS 24 are skyrocketing.
“Chronic mismanagement from successive SNP health secretaries means average waiting times for those desperate for help have now hit over 20 minutes.
“One shocking case saw a Scot having to hang on for over four hours, while over 100,000 patients abandoned their calls altogether.
“The increase in waiting times for NHS 24 is mirrored across our health service under the SNP.
“A&E waiting times are worsening by the day, delayed discharge figures have reached an all-time high, and cancer waiting time targets have not been met for over a decade.
“Neil Gray must focus on fixing the systemic issues in our health service so more funding can be spent on the frontline where it will make the most difference to patients.”
Notes:
Scots forced to wait over 4 hours to connect to NHS 24 helpline to speak about their health concerns. Figures obtained under freedom of information by the Scottish Conservatives revealed that one caller was forced to wait 4 hours, 4 minutes and 24 seconds in September. Another caller also faced a wait time of 4 hours and 30 seconds in July. Maximum waiting times have not shown any sign of improvement since 2023 with one caller being forced to wait for 3 hours, 39 minutes and 4 seconds in July 2023, (Scottish Conservative Research, 15 November 2024, available on request).
Average wait times for NHS 24 increased by 67% from last year. Wait time to be connected to NHS 24 helpline hovered around 21 minutes in 2024, a 67% increase from average wait times of 12.54 minutes in 2023, (Scottish Conservative Research, 15 November 2024, available on request).
Thousands give up waiting for NHS 24 helpline response in Scotland. 104,491 calls from members of the public seeking advice from NHS 24 in Scotland were abandoned before an operator responded during the first 10 months of 2024. Figures from NHS 24 obtained under freedom of information requests by the Scottish Conservatives revealed that January was the worst month for wait times overall, with 11,626 calls ended before being answered and an average wait time of 21 minutes and 10 seconds. Moreover, the figures showed that over 120,000 calls (126,673) were abandoned in 2023, (Scottish Conservative Research, 15 November 2024, available on request).