Recommendation 22

In respect of long waiting times for procedures such as cataract operations or hip and knee replacements, the Committee agrees that it is not acceptable for patients in rural communities to have to wait longer than their urban counterparts and that any such variances should be addressed as a matter of urgency. We therefore invite the Scottish Government to provide statistical data on any disparities on waiting times between urban and rural health boards and to outline the immediate and longer-term actions it is taking to address them where necessary.