Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has vowed to take decisive action to tackle NHS waiting times, pledging to declare a “waiting times emergency” if elected First Minister.
With hundreds of thousands of Scots currently on NHS waiting lists, Mr Sarwar insists that a Labour government would “use every tool available to ensure people get the care they need.” His proposals include allowing patients to be treated in other parts of Scotland or even in other areas of the UK. The NHS could also utilise the private sector to conduct more procedures in an effort to reduce waiting times.
Reforming NHS funding
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a lasting impact on NHS Scotland, with the number of procedures being carried out still below pre-pandemic levels. In response, Scottish Labour is proposing a radical overhaul of the way health boards in Scotland are funded.
Under Labour’s plans, NHS boards would be incentivised to improve performance, with funding directly tied to the amount of care delivered. If Labour wins the 2026 Holyrood elections, this new funding model will be introduced as part of a broader strategy to enhance efficiency and accessibility in Scotland’s healthcare system.
Mr Sarwar is expected to outline these proposals in detail during his speech at the Scottish Labour conference in Glasgow on Friday. The conference comes at a crucial time for Labour, as the party seeks to regain momentum in the polls with a series of policy announcements aimed at reassuring voters.
‘Our NHS is in crisis’
Labour has highlighted concerning statistics to support its case for urgent NHS reform. Official figures show that in 2024, NHS Scotland performed 284,965 operations—down significantly from the 334,563 carried out in 2019. Meanwhile, Public Health Scotland data indicates that as of 30 September last year, 636,238 individuals were on waiting lists for either outpatient appointments or hospital treatment—equivalent to one in nine people in Scotland.
Mr Sarwar warned that despite increased resources and staffing, the NHS in Scotland is failing to deliver the necessary number of operations and treatments.
“Our NHS is in crisis. Despite having more resources and more staff, Scotland’s health service is delivering fewer operations and fewer treatments than before,” he said.
“Vital capacity is going unused, and 50,000 fewer operations are being scheduled every year – that cannot continue.”
He also highlighted the stark inequalities in healthcare access across Scotland, criticising the current system where “a patient in Glasgow could be forced to wait a year for treatment when they could be seen within weeks in Tayside.”
Labour’s plan to prioritise patients
Labour’s proposals aim to cut through bureaucracy and ensure that patients receive treatment as quickly as possible, wherever capacity allows. Mr Sarwar insists that outdated systems and managerial inefficiencies should not stand in the way of care.
“This is a national emergency, and we will use every tool available to ensure people get the care they need when they need it,” he stated.
“Under our plans, patients will come first – not outdated systems or managerial red tape.
“To deal with this national emergency we will use capacity wherever it is – even if it means travelling to other parts of the country or using private sector capacity to cut waiting times and save lives.
“As First Minister, I will declare a waiting times emergency, rip up bureaucracy and do whatever it takes to fix our NHS.”
SNP hits back
However, the SNP has dismissed Labour’s proposals as empty rhetoric, insisting that the Scottish Government is already making progress in reducing waiting times.
Scottish Health Secretary Neil Gray responded by arguing that Labour had failed to offer constructive proposals during the Scottish Budget process.
“Waiting lists and waiting times will come down over this coming year, thanks to the choices the SNP is making in government,” Mr Gray said.
“If Labour was serious about action on the NHS, they could have made proposals during the Budget process. Not only did they fail to do so, they won’t be backing the record investment in the NHS this government is delivering.”
He also claimed that the latest data shows the Scottish Government’s plan to improve waiting times is starting to have an impact.
“We know there is more work to do – but we have a clear plan to drive more improvements, whereas Labour have nothing but empty rhetoric which people just won’t take seriously,” Mr Gray added.
Labour under pressure ahead of 2026 election
Meanwhile, SNP 2026 election campaign director Angus Robertson criticised Mr Sarwar, arguing that Scottish Labour lacks a clear vision and is failing to stand up to UK Labour leader Keir Starmer.
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“Ahead of his conference, Anas Sarwar is under real pressure – he has broken promise after promise and shown himself completely incapable of standing up to Keir Starmer’s government, which treats Scotland as an afterthought,” said Mr Robertson.
“With their poll ratings plummeting, it would be no surprise to see MSPs and conference delegates demanding a new direction in the Labour leadership.”
Mr Robertson also sought to contrast Labour’s position with that of the SNP, arguing that First Minister John Swinney’s leadership is delivering meaningful improvements.
“And while Anas Sarwar and Keir Starmer flail from disaster to disaster, under John Swinney’s leadership the SNP is resolutely focused on the issues that matter to the people of Scotland – investing in and improving our NHS, taking action to tackle the cost of living by bringing back universal winter heating support and supporting jobs and economic growth.”
A defining issue for the next election?
With the NHS consistently ranking as one of the most pressing concerns for voters in Scotland, Labour is hoping that its commitment to tackling waiting times will resonate with the public ahead of the 2026 Holyrood elections. However, with the SNP defending its record and dismissing Labour’s plans as superficial, the issue is set to be a key battleground in the political debate over Scotland’s future healthcare strategy.
