NHS waiting times - diagnostics
Waits for key diagnostic tests
Accredited official statistics
- Published
- 24 February 2026 (Latest release)
- Type
- Statistical report
- Author
- Public Health Scotland
About this release
This quarterly release by Public Health Scotland (PHS) shows the number of ongoing waits for eight key diagnostic tests at 31 December 2025 and the lengths of wait experienced so far. These include four endoscopy tests (upper endoscopy, lower endoscopy excl. colonoscopy, colonoscopy, and cystoscopy) and four radiology tests (CT scan, MRI scan, barium studies, and non-obstetric ultrasound). The national waiting times standard is that patients should wait no longer than six weeks (42 days) for these diagnostic tests. This publication now also includes an 'Official Statistics in Development' release of data on the number of eight key diagnostic tests performed for the period from April 2024 onwards.
In 2023 the Scottish Government published revised Waiting Times Guidance, with the aim of ensuring consistency in how waiting lists are managed. One board, NHS Ayrshire and Arran, has now implemented the revised calculations as detailed in the guidance. We have included some detail in the 'Further Information' section below. Full details can be found in the main report.
Main points
For ongoing waits at 31 December 2025:
- The total waiting list size (number of ongoing waits) for the eight key diagnostic tests combined was 123,992 (29,661 for endoscopy, 94,331 for radiology). This is a 15% (-22,013) decrease from the previous quarter-end, when there were 146,005 ongoing waits. The latest quarter end is the lowest number of ongoing waits seen since 31 August 2021 (120,041).
- There was a decrease in the waiting list size for both endoscopy (-1,126, -4%) and radiology (-20,887, -18%) when compared to the previous quarter-end. The decrease for endoscopy was driven by cystoscopy (-553, -9%), lower endoscopy (-334, -10%), and colonoscopy (-330, -4%), while an increase was seen for upper endoscopy (+91, +1%). The decrease for radiology was driven by non-obstetric ultrasound (-11,078, -21%), MRI (-6,168, -16%), and CT (-3,746, -17%), while an increase was seen for barium studies (+105, +32%).
- Of the 123,992 ongoing waits at quarter-end, 57% (70,999) had not yet exceeded the six-week standard, an increase of 3 percentage points from last quarter-end (79,429) and 4 percentage points compared to end December 2024 (70,773). On 31 December 2025, 42% of endoscopy tests had been ongoing for less than 6 weeks compared to 62% of radiology tests.
- There were 2,669 waits that had been ongoing for longer than a year at the latest quarter-end (2% of all waits). Endoscopy tests accounted for 94% (2,504) of these and radiology tests the other 6% (165). Radiology waits over 52 weeks reduced compared to the previous quarter (-9%, -16), but increased when compared to December 2024 (+70%, +68). Endoscopy waits over 52 weeks decreased by 28% (-977) compared to the previous quarter-end, from 3,481 to 2,504 and by 35% (-1,353) compared to the same quarter last year.
For activity during quarter-ending 31 December 2025:
- The total volume of activity (number of completed tests) for the eight key diagnostic tests combined was 245,377 (211,859 in radiology and 33,518 in endoscopy). This is a 6% (+14,282) increase from the previous quarter, when there were 231,095 completed tests and a 10% (+22,741) increase when compared to the same quarter last year.
- When compared to the previous quarter, the volume of activity increased by 1% (+474) for endoscopy tests and 7% (+13,808) for radiology tests. When compared to the same quarter last year both increased, with a rise of 4% (+1,238) for endoscopy activity and 11% (+21,503) for radiology activity.
- When compared to the previous quarter, the increase in endoscopy was driven by increases in cystoscopy (+386, +7%), upper endoscopy (+157, +1%), and lower endoscopy (+186, +8%). Colonoscopy saw a decrease in activity (-255, -2%). The increase in radiology tests was driven by increases in non-obstetric ultrasound (+7,836, +9%), MRI (+5,886, +13%), and CT (+167, +>1%). Barium studies were the only radiology test to see a decrease when compared to the previous quarter (-81, -9%).
- Of 245,377 completed tests across the quarter, nearly two-thirds (66%, 161,297) were completed within six weeks. The peak of the quarter was in December 2025, when the number reached 53,238 (68%). 71% of endoscopy tests were completed within 6 weeks compared to 65% of radiology tests.
- The number of key tests delivered after a wait of over 52 weeks, when compared to the previous quarter, decreased by 5% (-84), from 1,637 to 1,553. Endoscopy tests saw the number of tests delivered after a wait of over 52 weeks decrease by 9% (-115), while the number of radiology tests increased by 9% compared to the previous quarter (+31).
Further information
Data from this publication are available from the publication page on our website.
Open data from this publication is available from the Scottish Health and Social Care Open Data platform.
The next release of this publication will be 26 May 2026.
PHS is currently undertaking a review of the statistical publications we produce; all planned care waiting times outputs are being reviewed and this may lead to a change in the content, layout and frequency of future publications. Any substantial changes will be announced ahead of implementation. For more information, please contact us at phs.waitingtimes@phs.scot.
General enquiries
If you have an enquiry relating to this publication, please contact Róisín Farrell at phs.waitingtimes@phs.scot.
Media enquiries
If you have a media enquiry relating to this publication, please contact the Communications and Engagement team.
Requesting other formats and reporting issues
If you require publications or documents in other formats, please email phs.otherformats@phs.scot.
To report any issues with a publication, please email phs.generalpublications@phs.scot.
Older versions of this publication
Versions of this publication released before 16 March 2020 may be found on the Data and Intelligence, Health Protection Scotland or Improving Health websites.