Hospital waiting times 'back on track' after harsh winter

HOSPITAL waiting times are "back on course" after targets were missed due to the harsh winter weather.

Appointments were cancelled, casualty wards packed and many staff could not make it to work as the area endured the worst snow and ice for 40 years.

That led to the Scottish Government-set waiting times targets being missed, but bosses said they had recovered and the vast majority of people were now within those goals.

Acting director of strategic planning Alex McMahon also revealed that NHS Lothian would not be publicly unveiling its waiting times or delayed discharge statistics every two months, as it had been doing in recent years, and instead would present a "summary" report at its two-monthly meetings.

He added: "We continue to make good progress on this and we are back on course.

"Hip fracture waiting times have also returned to normal after winter. Mental health waiting times continue to improve."