Figures published by Public Health Scotland have revealed that the number of planned operations carried out in August was the highest monthly total since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic back in 2020.
Public Health Scotland statistics found that a total of 21,218 operations were performed in August – an average of 684 per day and an overall increase of 19% on the previous month.
Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Humza Yousaf, said: “On top of its emergency activity, our NHS carried out over 21,000 planned operations in August – with the highest daily average number of operations since the start of the pandemic. The scale of activity in the NHS is incredible, with around one operation beginning every two minutes on average.
“This shows real progress has been made in our recovery journey towards pre-pandemic levels of activity and is a testament to the care that our health service staff deliver for the people of Scotland every single day.”
The progress follows the introduction of targets aiming to eliminate the NHS’s longest waiters and get a handle on treatment backlog earlier this year.
Humza Yousaf continued: “We’re making positive steps forward and we are determined to sustain these efforts as we take the necessary steps to prepare the health and social care service for the challenges of winter.
“NHS boards are working to get those who have had treatments or procedures postponed the care they need as quickly as possible. Throughout the pandemic, they have ensured that urgent, maternity and vital cancer services continue as usual.”
