Cardiology and orthopaedics at opposite ends of Scottish waits
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Rises in the number of patients waiting for treatment in Scottish hospitals in the first half of 2002 have been met with disappointment by health minister, Malcolm Chisholm, who has pledged to ensure cutting waiting times remains the top priority for NHS Scotland. Only cardiology services showed improvements, matched by a significant fall in the incidence of coronary heart disease and related deaths in 2001. By contrast, orthopaedic services cannot cope with the growing demand.