Scotland sets new targets in support of "ambitious" service developments:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Scotland has announced plans to process its more than 1 million outpatient consultations and 500,000 hospital admissions within a 15-week period, by March 2009. An 18-week target in these areas (including day-care treatment) is already in place for the end of this year, but the new 15-week plan will support the ultimate 18-week maximum GP-to-referral time set for December 2011. Health secretary Nicola Sturgeon described the service developments involved as "ambitious", but that the progress to date had been "excellent".