WAITING lists for heart appointments in NHS Scotland are at their highest levels on record, as the health service grapples with a staffing crisis.  

Public Health Scotland data shows that as of September 2024, a shocking 24,000 people languished on waiting lists for a cardiology appointment, up 1,000 in just one year and a staggering 252 per cent increase since 2019.

More than 14,000 had waited longer than the SNP Scottish government’s 12 week target, 1,184 of whom waited more than 12 months — a 56 per cent rise since September 2023.