To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time is for dermatology services, broken down by NHS board, and what action it is taking to monitor this.

The median waiting times for a first out-patient appointment with a consultant in the specialty of dermatology, following referral by a general medical practitioner, by NHS board of residence, in the year ended 31 December 2004, are given in the table.

NHSScotland is committed to ensuring that from the end of this year, no patient will wait more than six months for a first out-patient appointment, including in the specialty of dermatology, and excellent progress is being made. This national maximum waiting time will be reduced to 18 weeks from the end of 2007. Performance towards delivery of these commitments is monitored regularly by the National Waiting Times Unit, and waiting times statistics are published quarterly.

To assist NHSScotland to redesign services and reduce waiting times, the Centre for Change and Innovation is undertaking the largest out-patient improvement programme seen in Scotland to create sustainable change and assist NHSScotland to meet the national maximum waiting time of 26 weeks from the end of 2005. As part of this programme, the Skin Action Scotland national redesign project, which provides clinicians with the opportunity to test new ways of working which will improve patient access and reduce waiting times, is well underway. 11 demonstration projects across Scotland have been awarded programme funding of £1 million over the next two years, and nine have been awarded capital funding of £250,000 to support project objectives and planned developments.

NHSScotland: Median Waiting Times for a First Out-patient Appointment with a Consultant in Dermatology, Following a General Medical Practitioner Referral, by NHS Board of Residence: Year Ended 31 December 2004^P

Source: ISD Scotland, SMR00.

^PProvisional.

Note:

Excludes patients with an Availability Status Code.