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NHS Highland

health board · Scotland · Scotland · code S08000022

This page reports published statistics; it is not medical advice and does not rate the trust.

In August 2026, 78.9% of A&E attendances at NHS Highland ended in admission, transfer or discharge within 4 hours, Public Health Scotland reports. That is 0.4 percentage points lower than in August 2025 (79.3%).

At the end of August 2026, 23,287 people were waiting for a new outpatient appointment with NHS Highland, Public Health Scotland reports. That is down 8% from 25,296 in August 2025.

In April to June 2026, 66.9% of patients on the 62-day cancer pathway at NHS Highland started treatment within 62 days, Public Health Scotland reports. That is 1.2 percentage points higher than in July to September 2024 (65.7%). That is 28.1 points below the 95% the standard sets out.

At the end of June 2026, 21.7% of the people on the diagnostic waiting list at NHS Highland had been waiting six weeks or more, Public Health Scotland reports. That is 20.8 percentage points lower than in June 2025 (42.5%). It is the lowest figure in the 13 periods shown here.

Planned care waiting times

Waiting for new outpatient appointment
23,287
August 2026 · Public Health Scotland
Waiting more than 12 weeks for new outpatient appointment
12,276
August 2026 · Public Health Scotland
Standard: Public Health Scotland: the new outpatient national standard is that 95% of new outpatients should wait no longer than 12 weeks from referral to being seen. Source
Waiting more than 52 weeks for new outpatient appointment
1,278
August 2026 · Public Health Scotland
Waiting for inpatient or day case treatment
6,670
August 2026 · Public Health Scotland
Waiting more than 12 weeks for inpatient or day case treatment
3,215
August 2026 · Public Health Scotland
Standard: Public Health Scotland: under the Treatment Time Guarantee all eligible patients should wait no longer than 12 weeks for inpatient or day case treatment after the decision to treat. Source
Waiting more than 52 weeks for inpatient or day case treatment
321
August 2026 · Public Health Scotland
25k20k August 2025August 2026
15k9,266 August 2025August 2026
3,587946 August 2025August 2026
7,4526,623 August 2025August 2026
3,6153,156 August 2025August 2026
693219 August 2025August 2026
Waiting for new outpatient appointment
August 202525,296
September 202524,412
October 202523,482
November 202522,437
December 202522,168
January 202621,159
February 202620,687
March 202620,186
April 202620,630
May 202621,426
June 202622,255
July 202622,995
August 202623,287
Waiting more than 12 weeks for new outpatient appointment
August 202514,701
September 202513,816
October 202512,748
November 202511,732
December 202511,545
January 202611,248
February 202610,498
March 20269,266
April 20269,683
May 202610,312
June 202610,909
July 202611,662
August 202612,276
Waiting more than 52 weeks for new outpatient appointment
August 20253,587
September 20252,905
October 20252,496
November 20251,971
December 20251,766
January 20261,626
February 20261,328
March 2026946
April 2026992
May 20261,140
June 20261,344
July 20261,465
August 20261,278
Waiting for inpatient or day case treatment
August 20257,016
September 20257,243
October 20257,452
November 20257,325
December 20257,203
January 20267,177
February 20267,082
March 20266,623
April 20266,751
May 20266,902
June 20267,022
July 20267,027
August 20266,670
Waiting more than 12 weeks for inpatient or day case treatment
August 20253,380
September 20253,398
October 20253,339
November 20253,288
December 20253,445
January 20263,543
February 20263,615
March 20263,156
April 20263,219
May 20263,292
June 20263,337
July 20263,261
August 20263,215
Waiting more than 52 weeks for inpatient or day case treatment
August 2025693
September 2025637
October 2025591
November 2025532
December 2025506
January 2026463
February 2026410
March 2026222
April 2026219
May 2026250
June 2026341
July 2026344
August 2026321

A&E

A&E: seen within 4 hours
78.9%
August 2026 · Public Health Scotland
Standard: Public Health Scotland: since 2007 the national standard is that new and unplanned return attendances at an A&E service should be seen and then admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours. Source
A&E: waits of more than 12 hours (emergency departments)
350
August 2026 · Public Health Scotland
Counts emergency department attendances where the patient spent more than 12 hours from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge.
81.8%0.0% August 2025August 2026
466176 August 2025August 2026
A&E: seen within 4 hours
August 202579.3%
September 202580.0%
October 202580.6%
November 202580.8%
December 202578.5%
January 202677.9%
February 202679.4%
March 202680.5%
April 202677.5%
May 202680.1%
June 202680.5%
July 202681.8%
August 202678.9%
A&E: waits of more than 12 hours (emergency departments)
August 2025303
September 2025364
October 2025306
November 2025248
December 2025390
January 2026466
February 2026310
March 2026335
April 2026338
May 2026239
June 2026258
July 2026176
August 2026350

Cancer waiting times

Cancer: treated within 62 days
66.9%
April to June 2026 · Public Health Scotland
Standard: Public Health Scotland: the 62-day standard states that 95% of eligible patients should wait no longer than 62 days from urgent suspicion of cancer referral to first cancer treatment. Source
Quarterly. Counted against the health board that received the referral, as Public Health Scotland measures it.
74.5%0.0% July to September 2024April to June 2026
Cancer: treated within 62 days
July to September 202465.7%
October to December 202471.5%
January to March 202569.0%
April to June 202569.8%
July to September 202569.1%
October to December 202574.5%
January to March 202670.1%
April to June 202666.9%

Diagnostic tests

Waiting more than six weeks for a key diagnostic test
21.7%
June 2026 · Public Health Scotland
Standard: Public Health Scotland: the national waiting times standard is that patients should wait no longer than six weeks (42 days) for the eight key diagnostic tests. Source
Waiting for a key diagnostic test
3,954
June 2026 · Public Health Scotland
45.7%0.0% June 2025June 2026
6,6743,954 June 2025June 2026
Waiting more than six weeks for a key diagnostic test
June 202542.5%
July 202540.6%
August 202545.7%
September 202537.9%
October 202541.7%
November 202533.1%
December 202527.7%
January 202630.5%
February 202625.1%
March 202623.5%
April 202625.7%
May 202622.8%
June 202621.7%
Waiting for a key diagnostic test
June 20256,547
July 20256,410
August 20256,262
September 20256,674
October 20256,514
November 20256,254
December 20255,364
January 20265,359
February 20265,093
March 20264,517
April 20264,186
May 20263,959
June 20263,954

Hospital sites

Main hospital sites registered to NHS Highland in the NHS Organisation Data Service. Figures on this page are for the whole organisation, not for individual sites.

Comparing the UK nations

Scotland reports waits by stage of treatment (new outpatient appointment, then inpatient or day case treatment) against 12-week standards, and diagnostic waits against six weeks. England and Wales count whole referral-to-treatment pathways, so the figures are not directly comparable.

Local areas

Council areas linked to this organisation: Argyll and Bute · Highland

Where NHS Highland sits in the ladder of power

The bodies above NHS Highland and the council areas it serves. How the ten levels work.

  3. Level 7: Regional blocs and supranational bodies

  4. Level 8: The UN and global treaty bodies

  5. Level 9: The IMF, World Bank and global finance

    • International Monetary Fund (IMF) The UK has been a member since 27 December 1945 and has a quota of SDR 20,155.1 million (IMF country page for the United Kingdom).
    • World Bank Group (WBG) The UK holds 3.75% of voting power in the IBRD (data as of 30 June 2026) and 6.92% in IDA (as of 30 June 2026), according to the World Bank's voting tables.

  6. Level 10: G7, G20, Davos and global forums

    • G7 The UK is one of the seven members.
    • G20 The UK is a G20 member.

Related figures

NHS waiting list (England) · NHS employment

Sources

NHS trusts and health boards · how these figures are presented · built 15 October 2026