Are one in six Scots waiting for NHS care?

Most recently, criticising the SNP’s record in government, Scottish Labour’s constitution spokesman Neil Bibby said that “one in six Scots is on an NHS waiting list” (11 October). Mr Sarwar made the claim back in May.

The Daily Record also appeared to repeat the claim at face value (13 October), saying one in six people in Scotland were “stuck on some form of NHS waiting list”. And The Scotsman columnist and Labour MSP Jackie Baillie (15 October) also used the one in six figure, and referred to those on the waiting list as being “in pain”.

Yet the latest figures from Public Health Scotland estimated there were 618,477 individual people on an NHS waiting list as of 31 October 2025.

That’s 11.15% of Scotland’s mid-2024 population (5,546,900)—closer to one in nine.

It’s true that Public Health Scotland’s count is incomplete, but it is the most reliable number we have.

Most recently, criticising the SNP’s record in government, Scottish Labour’s constitution spokesman Neil Bibby said that “one in six Scots is on an NHS waiting list” (11 October). Mr Sarwar made the claim back in May.

The Daily Record also appeared to repeat the claim at face value (13 October), saying one in six people in Scotland were “stuck on some form of NHS waiting list”. And The Scotsman columnist and Labour MSP Jackie Baillie (15 October) also used the one in six figure, and referred to those on the waiting list as being “in pain”.

Yet the latest figures from Public Health Scotland estimated there were 618,477 individual people on an NHS waiting list as of 31 October 2025.

That’s 11.15% of Scotland’s mid-2024 population (5,546,900)—closer to one in nine.

It’s true that Public Health Scotland’s count is incomplete, but it is the most reliable number we have.

Most recently, criticising the SNP’s record in government, Scottish Labour’s constitution spokesman Neil Bibby said that “one in six Scots is on an NHS waiting list” (11 October). Mr Sarwar made the claim back in May.

The Daily Record also appeared to repeat the claim at face value (13 October), saying one in six people in Scotland were “stuck on some form of NHS waiting list”. And The Scotsman columnist and Labour MSP Jackie Baillie (15 October) also used the one in six figure, and referred to those on the waiting list as being “in pain”.

Yet the latest figures from Public Health Scotland estimated there were 618,477 individual people on an NHS waiting list as of 31 October 2025.

That’s 11.15% of Scotland’s mid-2024 population (5,546,900)—closer to one in nine.

It’s true that Public Health Scotland’s count is incomplete, but it is the most reliable number we have.

Most recently, criticising the SNP’s record in government, Scottish Labour’s constitution spokesman Neil Bibby said that “one in six Scots is on an NHS waiting list” (11 October). Mr Sarwar made the claim back in May.

The Daily Record also appeared to repeat the claim at face value (13 October), saying one in six people in Scotland were “stuck on some form of NHS waiting list”. And The Scotsman columnist and Labour MSP Jackie Baillie (15 October) also used the one in six figure, and referred to those on the waiting list as being “in pain”.

Yet the latest figures from Public Health Scotland estimated there were 618,477 individual people on an NHS waiting list as of 31 October 2025.

That’s 11.15% of Scotland’s mid-2024 population (5,546,900)—closer to one in nine.

It’s true that Public Health Scotland’s count is incomplete, but it is the most reliable number we have.

Most recently, criticising the SNP’s record in government, Scottish Labour’s constitution spokesman Neil Bibby said that “one in six Scots is on an NHS waiting list” (11 October). Mr Sarwar made the claim back in May.

The Daily Record also appeared to repeat the claim at face value (13 October), saying one in six people in Scotland were “stuck on some form of NHS waiting list”. And The Scotsman columnist and Labour MSP Jackie Baillie (15 October) also used the one in six figure, and referred to those on the waiting list as being “in pain”.

Yet the latest figures from Public Health Scotland estimated there were 618,477 individual people on an NHS waiting list as of 31 October 2025.

That’s 11.15% of Scotland’s mid-2024 population (5,546,900)—closer to one in nine.

It’s true that Public Health Scotland’s count is incomplete, but it is the most reliable number we have.