BY any standards the figures make for stark reading. In just a year Scotland has had a five-fold increase in the number of people waiting more than 12 months for outpatient appointments.

Pressures on the NHS in Scotland are nothing new of course, but according to the latest figures, some 1,186 people waited more than a year to be treated in hospital for a variety of ailments in 2016. That compared to just 228 in 2015, making for a 420 per cent year-on-year increase.

The fact the latest data was obtained as a result of a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by the Scottish Conservatives only adds to the political wrangling over the NHS in Scotland.

Hardly surprising then that yesterday Shadow health secretary Miles Briggs was already turning the screw, emphasising this was just another measure which shows a “real collapse” in the standard of service being offered to patients.

A more forensic examination of the figures and why they have come about, however, points to a more complicated picture. To begin with, the data from the Information Services Division (ISD) in Scotland reveals the number of people waiting more than a year for outpatient appointments has been steadily increasing over a number of years.

Add to this the fact consultant vacancies have risen alongside the rising demands of an ageing population in Scotland and the situation has some of the makings of a perfect storm.

There is real cause for concern and bringing the figures to attention is vital if concerns are to be addressed. Perhaps most worrying of all is that the delays occurred across various areas of medicine, with the majority in urology, where 303 patients had waited more than 12 months for their appointment.

While delays in orthopaedic treatment have long since been problematic, confirmation 277 patients in trauma and orthopaedic surgery and 170 patients in gastroenterology were also subject to substantial delays only adds to existing worries.

Not all the news was negative however, given that other departments, such as cardiology, haematology and plastic surgery has very few patients waiting beyond 12 months for treatment.

In its response to the latest figures, the Scottish Government reiterated its commitment to ensuring patients get quick access to the services they require.

Health Secretary Shona Robison reminded critics the government announced an extra £10 million to deliver 40,000 more outpatient appointments immediately between November 2016 and March 2017 and provided an additional £50m to improve waiting times along the entire course of a patient’s journey through the NHS.

This is to be welcomed but it will not stop the political pressure from mounting. In recent months the focus of critical attention on the Scottish Government has concentrated on education. These latest figures highlight there are still also pressing issues in the NHS in urgent need of treatment.