NHS Scotland health board

NHS Lothian

Public Health Scotland official statistics, May 2026. Medians are the midpoint wait so far of people still on the list — half have already waited longer.

82 days

Outpatient median so far (May 2026)

111 days

Inpatient/day-case median so far

81,105

Waiting for a first appointment

Outpatient waits by specialty

People waiting for a FIRST appointment with each specialty.

Specialty	Waiting	Median so far	9 in 10 within	>52 weeks
Ophthalmology	12,526	91 days	284 days	498
Gynaecology	10,734	135 days	458 days	1,826
Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery	7,426	103 days	388 days	939
Dermatology	7,364	65 days	199 days	31
General Surgery (excl Vascular)	6,534	89 days	265 days	290
Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT)	5,536	83 days	260 days	165
Rheumatology	2,987	104 days	289 days	18
Paediatrics	2,798	81 days	274 days	113
Plastic Surgery	2,770	93 days	235 days	0
Urology	2,383	86 days	271 days	148
Respiratory Medicine	2,181	64 days	214 days	8
Gastroenterology	2,054	44 days	129 days	1
Neurosurgery	1,947	96 days	261 days	11
Oral Surgery	1,825	62 days	124 days	0
Oral Medicine	1,578	183 days	656 days	430
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery	1,343	103 days	285 days	63
Cardiology	1,278	23 days	60 days	1
Vascular Surgery	1,088	75 days	180 days	0
Neurology	1,034	26 days	122 days	0
Endocrinology	860	60 days	174 days	0
Clinical Neurophysiology	791	205 days	424 days	167
Paediatric Surgery	748	95 days	222 days	0
Anaesthetics	528	37 days	75 days	0
Diabetes	511	65 days	173 days	0
Geriatric Medicine	385	17 days	61 days	0
Paediatric Dentistry	340	58 days	104 days	2
Orthodontics	328	95 days	207 days	1
Haematology	245	18 days	47 days	2
General Medicine	234	11 days	52 days	2
Clinical Oncology	224	10 days	32 days	0
Infectious Diseases	112	23 days	119 days	0
Restorative Dentistry	98	25 days	59 days	0
Renal Medicine	84	31 days	68 days	0
Cardiac Surgery	76	26 days	48 days	0
Medical Oncology	64	10 days	30 days	0
Thoracic Surgery	51	25 days	51 days	0
Endocrinology & Diabetes	28	90 days	222 days	1
Palliative Medicine	7	not published	not published	0
Immunology	5	not published	not published	0

Inpatient / day-case waits by specialty

People waiting for admission for treatment.

Specialty	Waiting	Median so far	9 in 10 within	>52 weeks
Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery	4,474	130 days	373 days	479
General Surgery (excl Vascular)	3,726	165 days	354 days	347
Urology	2,424	131 days	289 days	103
Ophthalmology	2,371	62 days	180 days	49
Plastic Surgery	1,758	107 days	396 days	203
Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT)	1,492	124 days	378 days	165
Gynaecology	1,455	116 days	326 days	96
Cardiology	1,241	86 days	359 days	110
Paediatric Dentistry	657	125 days	289 days	10
Neurosurgery	497	130 days	449 days	73
Paediatric Surgery	443	87 days	276 days	18
Vascular Surgery	286	101 days	293 days	1
Cardiac Surgery	256	109 days	262 days	3
Oral Surgery	205	275 days	410 days	52
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery	204	90 days	225 days	6
Thoracic Surgery	84	86 days	553 days	22
Community Dental Practice	67	206 days	397 days	11
Clinical Oncology	56	26 days	259 days	1
Medical Oncology	53	11 days	25 days	0
Gastroenterology	44	33 days	201 days	3
Clinical Radiology	43	104 days	246 days	2
Haematology	29	17 days	48 days	0
Rheumatology	24	10 days	19 days	0
Paediatrics	17	not published	not published	0
Respiratory Medicine	15	not published	not published	0
Neurology	7	not published	not published	0
Cleft Lip and Palate Surgery	1	not published	not published	1

Month by month (outpatient median)

Month	Median (days)	Waiting
2025-05	131	99,556
2025-06	132	100,281
2025-07	133	101,362
2025-08	130	99,937
2025-09	127	98,371
2025-10	123	96,318
2025-11	118	92,557
2025-12	118	88,726
2026-01	114	86,491
2026-02	108	84,743
2026-03	91	83,346
2026-04	85	81,173
2026-05	82	81,105

Source: Public Health Scotland, Stage of Treatment Waiting Times, May 2026. Open Government Licence. Scottish stage-of-treatment waits are not comparable with English referral-to-treatment figures — see methodology. “Not published” = withheld or qualified by PHS, never zero.

Outpatient waits by specialty

People waiting for a FIRST appointment with each specialty.

Specialty	Waiting	Median so far	9 in 10 within	>52 weeks
Ophthalmology	12,526	91 days	284 days	498
Gynaecology	10,734	135 days	458 days	1,826
Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery	7,426	103 days	388 days	939
Dermatology	7,364	65 days	199 days	31
General Surgery (excl Vascular)	6,534	89 days	265 days	290
Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT)	5,536	83 days	260 days	165
Rheumatology	2,987	104 days	289 days	18
Paediatrics	2,798	81 days	274 days	113
Plastic Surgery	2,770	93 days	235 days	0
Urology	2,383	86 days	271 days	148
Respiratory Medicine	2,181	64 days	214 days	8
Gastroenterology	2,054	44 days	129 days	1
Neurosurgery	1,947	96 days	261 days	11
Oral Surgery	1,825	62 days	124 days	0
Oral Medicine	1,578	183 days	656 days	430
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery	1,343	103 days	285 days	63
Cardiology	1,278	23 days	60 days	1
Vascular Surgery	1,088	75 days	180 days	0
Neurology	1,034	26 days	122 days	0
Endocrinology	860	60 days	174 days	0
Clinical Neurophysiology	791	205 days	424 days	167
Paediatric Surgery	748	95 days	222 days	0
Anaesthetics	528	37 days	75 days	0
Diabetes	511	65 days	173 days	0
Geriatric Medicine	385	17 days	61 days	0
Paediatric Dentistry	340	58 days	104 days	2
Orthodontics	328	95 days	207 days	1
Haematology	245	18 days	47 days	2
General Medicine	234	11 days	52 days	2
Clinical Oncology	224	10 days	32 days	0
Infectious Diseases	112	23 days	119 days	0
Restorative Dentistry	98	25 days	59 days	0
Renal Medicine	84	31 days	68 days	0
Cardiac Surgery	76	26 days	48 days	0
Medical Oncology	64	10 days	30 days	0
Thoracic Surgery	51	25 days	51 days	0
Endocrinology & Diabetes	28	90 days	222 days	1
Palliative Medicine	7	not published	not published	0
Immunology	5	not published	not published	0

Inpatient / day-case waits by specialty

People waiting for admission for treatment.

Specialty	Waiting	Median so far	9 in 10 within	>52 weeks
Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery	4,474	130 days	373 days	479
General Surgery (excl Vascular)	3,726	165 days	354 days	347
Urology	2,424	131 days	289 days	103
Ophthalmology	2,371	62 days	180 days	49
Plastic Surgery	1,758	107 days	396 days	203
Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT)	1,492	124 days	378 days	165
Gynaecology	1,455	116 days	326 days	96
Cardiology	1,241	86 days	359 days	110
Paediatric Dentistry	657	125 days	289 days	10
Neurosurgery	497	130 days	449 days	73
Paediatric Surgery	443	87 days	276 days	18
Vascular Surgery	286	101 days	293 days	1
Cardiac Surgery	256	109 days	262 days	3
Oral Surgery	205	275 days	410 days	52
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery	204	90 days	225 days	6
Thoracic Surgery	84	86 days	553 days	22
Community Dental Practice	67	206 days	397 days	11
Clinical Oncology	56	26 days	259 days	1
Medical Oncology	53	11 days	25 days	0
Gastroenterology	44	33 days	201 days	3
Clinical Radiology	43	104 days	246 days	2
Haematology	29	17 days	48 days	0
Rheumatology	24	10 days	19 days	0
Paediatrics	17	not published	not published	0
Respiratory Medicine	15	not published	not published	0
Neurology	7	not published	not published	0
Cleft Lip and Palate Surgery	1	not published	not published	1

Month

Median (days)

Waiting

2025-05

131

99,556

2025-06

132

100,281

2025-07

133

101,362

2025-08

130

99,937

2025-09

127

98,371

2025-10

123

96,318

2025-11

118

92,557

2025-12

118

88,726

2026-01

114

86,491

2026-02

108

84,743

2026-03

83,346

2026-04

81,173

2026-05

81,105