Scotland A&E data for August 2026, published 6 October 2026 · Scotland diagnostics data for June 2026, published 25 August 2026 · Page updated 1 November 2026
NHS waiting times in Scotland
In August 2026, 66.7% of A&E attendances in Scotland were seen within four hours (standard 95%), and in June 2026, 22.6% of MRI waits were over six weeks. Scotland has a legal 12-week Treatment Time Guarantee for planned inpatient and day-case treatment, which is often missed.
What are the waiting time standards in Scotland?
| Standard | Target |
|---|---|
| Treatment Time Guarantee (planned inpatient and day-case treatment, from agreeing treatment) | 12 weeks (legal guarantee) |
| Referral to treatment | 90% within 18 weeks |
| New outpatient appointment | 95% within 12 weeks |
| Key diagnostic tests | Within 6 weeks |
| A&E | 95% within 4 hours |
| CAMHS | 90% start treatment within 18 weeks of referral |
How long are A&E waits in each Scottish health board?
| Health board | Attendances | Within 4 hours |
|---|---|---|
| NHS Ayrshire and Arran | 9,272 | 60.1% |
| NHS Borders | 3,255 | 65.5% |
| NHS Dumfries and Galloway | 5,052 | 74.6% |
| NHS Fife | 8,840 | 72.7% |
| NHS Forth Valley | 8,003 | 59.3% |
| NHS Grampian | 12,388 | 64.4% |
| NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde | 38,043 | 68.4% |
| NHS Highland | 10,775 | 78.9% |
| NHS Lanarkshire | 17,897 | 49.4% |
| NHS Lothian | 27,520 | 64.0% |
| NHS Orkney | 767 | 95.2% |
| NHS Shetland | 795 | 81.5% |
| NHS Tayside | 8,746 | 88.1% |
| NHS Western Isles | 978 | 94.0% |
| Scotland | 152,331 | 66.7% |
How long are scan and test waits in Scotland?
| Health board | MRI over 6 wks | CT over 6 wks | Ultrasound over 6 wks | Endoscopy over 6 wks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Jubilee National Hospital | 23.6% | 27.4% | 2.7% | – |
| NHS Ayrshire and Arran | 23.9% | 8.1% | 0.8% | 55.8% |
| NHS Borders | 1.4% | 2.2% | 3.6% | 37.3% |
| NHS Dumfries and Galloway | 2.7% | 7.6% | 15.7% | 15.3% |
| NHS Fife | 6.9% | 0.5% | 0.1% | 2.7% |
| NHS Forth Valley | 4.8% | 17.2% | 16.1% | 12.2% |
| NHS Grampian | 13.8% | 5.2% | 22.5% | 54.5% |
| NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde | 24.8% | 5.8% | 39.8% | 45.6% |
| NHS Highland | 37.7% | 27.2% | 1.2% | 22.2% |
| NHS Lanarkshire | 26.3% | 8.8% | 40.0% | 42.1% |
| NHS Lothian | 24.0% | 12.6% | 8.4% | 53.3% |
| NHS Orkney | 21.1% | 0.0% | 5.3% | 12.0% |
| NHS Shetland | 32.1% | 9.5% | 38.9% | 11.6% |
| NHS Tayside | 31.2% | 13.0% | 34.1% | 66.9% |
| NHS Western Isles | 40.4% | 6.3% | 12.1% | 32.9% |
| Scotland | 22.6% | 9.3% | 26.9% | 47.5% |
Figures for each UK nation use their own definitions and standards, so they are not directly comparable with England.
Which towns have their own waiting time pages?
Aberdeen · Dunfermline · East Kilbride · Edinburgh · Glasgow · Hamilton · Inverness · Kirkcaldy
More: waiting time rights in each nation, all regions.
Not medical advice. If your symptoms change or get worse while you wait, contact your GP or the team treating you. If it is not an emergency, NHS 111 online or calling 111 can tell you where to go, including urgent treatment centres, which often have shorter waits. Call 999 or go to A&E for life-threatening emergencies such as chest pain, difficulty breathing, severe bleeding or signs of a stroke.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Treatment Time Guarantee?
A legal right under the Patient Rights (Scotland) Act 2011 that eligible patients start planned inpatient or day-case treatment within 12 weeks of agreeing it. If it is missed, the health board must explain why.
Is A&E in Scotland measured the same way as England?
Similarly, but not identically. Public Health Scotland reports all A&E sites and the definitions differ, so figures are not directly comparable.
Who do I contact about my wait in Scotland?
Your health board’s waiting times or patient advice team. NHS inform explains your rights.
How should I cite these figures?
Waiting Times UK, “NHS waiting times in Scotland”, official statistics as dated above, https://waitingtimesuk.co.uk/regions/scotland (accessed [date]). Where possible, cite the official publisher too.
Who wrote this page and where do the figures come from?
Written and maintained by the Waiting Times UK editorial team at Oaknest Media Ltd, an independent publisher that is not part of the NHS. Every figure is taken from an official publication, shown with its date, and linked below; where we add up or compare figures ourselves we say so. This page has not been reviewed by a clinician and is not medical advice. Page last updated 1 November 2026, from the data files named below. Figures change when the publisher releases new data.
- Public Health Scotland: A&E activity and waiting times (August 2026, published 6 October 2026)
- Public Health Scotland: Diagnostic waiting times (June 2026, published 25 August 2026)
- NHS inform: waiting times in Scotland
- Patient Rights (Scotland) Act 2011
- Public Health Scotland: CAMHS waiting times
Official statistics are reproduced under the Open Government Licence v3.0. See data sources and methods and about Waiting Times UK.
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