Women ‘badly failed by SNP’ as hysterectomy wait times surge – Labour

The SNP has been accused of presiding over a national “scandal” in the NHS as women are forced to wait years for hysterectomies.

A freedom of information request by Scottish Labour found the longest waits in some health boards are more than 2,000 days – nearly six years.

The figures show the average wait for a hysterectomy – an operation to treat womb-related health problems including cancers – has risen since 2019/20 in most health boards.

In NHS Lanarkshire, average waits are almost four-and-a-half times longer than they were in 2019/20, increasing from 61 days to 272 in 2024/25.

Average wait times in NHS Ayrshire and Arran have nearly tripled from 49 days to 145 in the same time.

The current median ongoing wait is more than a year in NHS Grampian, with patients waiting 408.5 days on average.

In NHS Borders, this figure is 290 and in NHS Lothian it is 269.

The longest waits experienced by women have risen even more drastically, with women in NHS Grampian waiting as long as 2,122 days.

The longest waits in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, NHS Lanarkshire and NHS Tayside were all more than 1,000 days – around three years.

In 2024/25, the longest wait in NHS Borders was almost 10 times longer than it was in 2019/20, while in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde it was almost nine times longer.

As our NHS fell into crisis on the SNP’s watch, women’s health was allowed to fall by the wayside

Scottish Labour accused the Scottish Government of “failing women” with “broken promises” on healthcare.

The party said women’s health had fallen “by the wayside during a time of crisis”.

Carol Mochan, Labour’s spokeswoman for women’s health, said: “In communities right across Scotland, women are being badly failed at the hands of the SNP.

“As our NHS fell into crisis on the SNP’s watch, women’s health was allowed to fall by the wayside.

“Women are being forced to pay the price for SNP incompetence as they are left to suffer for months or even years waiting for hysterectomies.

“Behind the SNP’s warm words, plans and strategies on women’s health is a record of broken promises.

“A Scottish Labour government will deliver where the SNP has failed and rebuild our NHS, tackle long waits and finally give women’s health the attention it deserves.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The Scottish Government is investing £200 million to reduce waiting times.

“We are supporting access to specialist women’s health services and tackling long waits for treatment.

“Gynaecology was an area targeted in our £30 million investment in planned care – delivering 3,500 additional new outpatient appointments.

“Scotland was the first country in the UK to publish a Women’s Health Plan.”