Cardiology system 'overwhelmed' by demand leaves Scots 'dying' on waiting list

The cardiology system in Scotland has been “overwhelmed” by rising demand, according to a report.

A woman from Dumfries, who suffered a heart attack while still on a cardiology waiting list, said people are “dying needlessly” because they’re waiting “for far too long”.

Cardiac inpatient lists have tripled in five years from 8,824 in March 2020 – the same month as the first Covid-19 lockdown – to 23,859 in June of this year.

According to the report by Public Health Scotland, the rise in outpatient waiting times was “steady and concerning”.

The number of waits of more than 12 weeks for treatment also increased from 1,020 to 12,758.

“The timing of these increases strongly suggests that the Covid-19 pandemic had a profound impact on service performance,” the report said.

“While the number of patients being added and removed each month has remained broadly similar, the cumulative effect of sustained high demand has overwhelmed the system, making it difficult to meaningfully reduce waiting times.”

Angela Gordon, 55, from Dumfries, is one of thousands of Scots caught up in the cardiology system.

She was urgently referred in July last year. She waited months without an appointment and suffered a heart attack in December while still on the waiting list.

She was rushed to East Kilbride for emergency stents and, nearly a year later, is still waiting for a follow-up scan – despite being told by a cardiologist it should happen within six months.

Ms Gordon is now living with no clear diagnosis, no medical plan, and no support for her condition, apart from the peer group she attends through Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland.

“I should be dead,” Ms Gordon said.

“The heart attack saved my life in a way. I still don’t know what damage was done, and I’ve had no follow-up. Waiting so long just isn’t acceptable.”

She continued: “People are dying needlessly because they’re on a waiting list for far too long.”

“We get that there’s problems, we get that there’s financial issues, and there’s things that as ordinary people we don’t know, but to wait a year just to talk to somebody… I mean that is ridiculous.”

Ms Gordon said it could be even longer until the imaging she needs is done. She wondered how much longer she would have to wait to know what the problem is.

“We shouldn’t be dying sitting on a waiting list when it could be avoided,” she said.

“The NHS was put in place for a purpose, we have governments in place in this country to represent the people and they’re failing miserably, and you can talk about attitudes you can talk about opinions, but people are dying. That needs to stop.”

A spokesperson for NHS Dumfries and Galloway said the health board “cannot comment on individual cases because of patient confidentiality”.

They said: “Anyone with a concern or complaint is encouraged to contact the patient experience team.”

A spokesman for the Scottish Government said: “The 2025-26 Scottish budget allocates almost £200m to reduce waiting lists across the NHS, including cardiology.

“The Scottish cardiac audit programme, backed by £1.5m in Scottish Government funding, uses data to drive improvement in cardiac services and support strategic planning.

“It allows us to identify where there are challenges in delivering high-quality cardiac care and work closely with clinical and operational teams to address issues.

“We are pleased to see the further expansion of (the Scottish cardiac audit programme) to include data on radiology, heart failure and heart attack and to see plans for the further expansion to include cardiac rehabilitation, inherited cardiac conditions and sudden cardiac death.”

If you’re living with the effects of a chest, heart or stroke condition or Long Covid and are looking for advice and information, you can contact Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland’s Advice Line on 0808 801 0899. You can also text ADVICE to 66777 or email adviceline@chss.org.uk. 