On 24 February 2022, the Auditor General for Scotland published NHS in Scotland 2021.
The report says:
"The success of the vaccinations programme has reduced deaths but the ongoing impact of responding to variants of Covid-19 has created a growing backlog of patients waiting much longer for treatment. The backlog poses a significant risk to the Scottish Government’s recovery plans, which aim to transform how care is delivered. Reform is key to the sustainability of the NHS, and it must remain a focus, building on the innovation seen throughout the pandemic."
Read the report on Audit Scotland's website
Information about the Public Audit Committee's consideration of the report can be found below.
The Committee took evidence from:
Stephen Boyle, the Auditor General for Scotland; Leigh Johnston, Senior Manager, Derek Hoy, Audit Manager; Performance Audit and Best Value, Audit Scotland.
Read the agenda and meeting papers, 17 March 2022
Read the Official Report, 17 March 2022
Read the meeting minutes, 17 March 2022
Decision: The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government on issues raised during the meeting. The Committee also agreed to invite NHS Highland to give oral evidence at a future meeting in relation the the 2020/21 audit of NHS Highland.
Decision: The Committee agreed at its meeting on 22 September 2022 to write to the Scottish Government to seek further information.
Decision: The Committee noted at its meeting on 9 February 2023, correspondence from Caroline Lamb, Director-General for Health and Social Care and Chief Executive of NHS Scotland, Scottish Government and agreed to close its scrutiny of the report NHS in Scotland.