By David Scott
25 March 2010The NHS in Scotland has been told it will need to become more efficient if it is cope with increasing pressures on orthopaedic services.
In a report published on March 25, Audit Scotland said an ageing population would lead to further demands on services such as hip replacements and knee operations.
The watchdog pointed out that the NHS in Scotland had significantly reduced the length of time people were waiting to receive orthopaedic services in the past year.
But it warned: ‘Reduced funding and shorter waiting times targets will add further pressure. In order to sustain the improvements made, the NHS has to become more efficient.’
According to Audit Scotland, an extra 3,700 procedures could be carried out each year if NHS boards with lower levels of activity were to reach average targets.
Deputy auditor general Caroline Gardner said: ‘There remains much that the Scottish Government and NHS boards can do to help improve the efficiency and effectiveness of orthopaedic services, and money could be saved by better use of resources.’
