Murdo Fraser MSP says too many chronic pain patients in Tayside are still waiting too long to be seen.
The Scottish Conservative politician’s warning comes after there was a near 11% increase in the number of patients in chronic pain waiting to be seen for a first appointment at the end of September in Scotland.
In Tayside, a total of 208 were still waiting to be seen by NHS Tayside at the end of September, with 71 of these waiting more than 12 weeks and one person actually having to wait more than a year.
Out of those who were seen in Tayside, 52 had waited more than 12 weeks.
Mr Fraser says chronic pain patients cannot continue to suffer more misery with longer waits to be seen.
He says Humza Yousaf’s flimsy NHS Recovery Plan has failed to address the issue and the backlog of patients waiting to be seen, cannot spiral out of control.
Commenting, Mr Fraser, who represents the Mid Scotland and Fife region, said: “The number of chronic pain patients waiting to be seen for medical treatment is on the increase and urgent action needs to be taken by the SNP Government.
“Too many patients in Tayside are waiting weeks - in one case a person has waited more than a year - to be seen for a first appointment. That is completely unacceptable.
“With each passing day that a patient in chronic pain has to wait to be seen, their misery only grows.”
Mr Fraser continued: “Humza Yousaf’s NHS Recovery Plan failed to address the issue of chronic pain and now we are seeing that backlog growing in Tayside.
“We must see him address these figures otherwise more and more patients are going to be waiting too long to be seen.”