Funding allocated to reduce NHS waiting lists information: FOI release

Information requested

1) A breakdown of the £110million pledged and allocated to reduce long NHS waits. This should include where the money has been spent (i.e. NHS board), and also what specific conditions or deliverables have been attached to this money.

1a) Any internal report or briefing to ministers or to senior Health directorate civil servants about the effectiveness or audit trail of how the money has been spent and any measurement against promised outcomes from those receiving the money.

2) Separately, a breakdown of how the £25.5million extra spend announced on November 3 will be spent.

Response

In response to Question 1, this is exempt under Section 25(1) – Information otherwise accessible.

I would like to refer you to the following Parliamentary Question answered on 30 May 2025, which provides a breakdown of the initial £100 million investment by Board and Specialty:

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A further Parliamentary Question was answered on 23rd July 2025, providing details of the intended outcomes this funding is set to deliver; which increased to £106 million. It also committed a further £4 million to deliver extra dermatology activity, bringing total additional funding for this year to over £110 million:

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Regarding the first part of Question 1a, this information is exempt under Section 30(b)(ii) – Free and frank exchange of views.

This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption.

We recognise that there is a public interest in disclosing information as part of open, transparent and accountable Government, and to inform public debate. However, there is a greater public interest in allowing Ministers and officials a private space within which to explore and refine the Government’s position on the policy relating to NHS funding allocations, until the Government as a whole can adopt a decision that is sound and likely to be effective.

This private thinking space is essential to enable all options to be properly considered, so that good decisions can be taken. Premature disclosure is likely to undermine the full and frank discussion of issues between Ministers and officials, which in turn will undermine the quality of the decision making process, which would not be in the public interest.

Additionally, the second part of your request under Question 1a is exempt under Section 25(1) – Information otherwise accessible.

As you may be aware, the Operational Improvement Plan committed to delivering 150,000 additional appointments and procedures during 2025–2026, baselined against data from 2024–2025.

Public Health Scotland (PHS) routinely publishes data in our 'NHS waiting times - stage of treatment' publication on the number of patients seen for a new consultant-led outpatient appointment or treatment as an inpatient or day case. These data are available at board and specialty level.

From August 2025 PHS includes diagnostic activity data in the 'NHS waiting times – diagnostics' publication. This is monthly data from April 2024 onwards and will be updated on a quarterly basis.

Activity statistics from these two sources supports the measurement of progress towards this target.

Details on progress to data can be found on the PHS:

Appointments and procedures - How we support the NHS Operational Improvement Plan - What we do and how we work - About us - Public Health Scotland

In response to Question 2, this information is exempt under Section 30(b)(ii) – Free and frank exchange of views.

I would like to direct you to the following parliamentary question, which provides a detailed breakdown of the more recent £25.5 million funding announcement, bringing the total additional funding to £135.5 million for Planned Care in 2025-26:

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Thank you for taking the time to contact the Scottish Government.

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The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.