Cardiac waits need to come down, says charity boss

FORTY people in Dumfries and Galloway have been waiting more than a year for an echocardiogram, according to the latest figures. The data from Public Health Scotland’s Scottish Cardiac Audit Programme 2025, published in November shows that as of June this year 846 people were on the outpatient waiting list for cardiology, down from 872 in June 2024. However, 260 of those have already exceeded the Scottish Government’s 12 week wait time target for a new outpatient cardiology appointment. While this is a slight improvement from 285 last year, a significant number of patients are still waiting beyond the government’s standard. Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland is now calling for urgent action from the Scottish Government as the cardiac care crisis deepens. Chief executive Jane-Claire Judson said: “The figures published in the Scottish Cardiac Audit outline some clear concerns that the Scottish Government must heed and we need urgent action from them to get on top if this issue. “While the waiting list for important appointments has come down in Dumfries and Galloway, we need the Scottish Government to make quicker and deeper progress to cut those lists and waits down even further. We also need to reverse the trend on the rising inpatient waiting list. “Long waiting times can be extremely stressful for people awaiting vital treatment - and delays can have critical consequences. That stress and anxiety are felt by loved ones too. It’s unacceptable to have people put their lives on hold for so long.”