THE SNP Scottish government has overseen a national “scandal,” Labour has warned as women are forced to endure years on waiting lists for hysterectomies.

In a series of freedom of information requests to Scotland’s health boards, Labour found that average waits have rocketed, with some women waiting more than five years for operation used to treat womb-related health problems, including cancers.

Between 2019-20 and 2024-25, average waits in Lanarkshire soared from 61 days to 272, while in Ayrshire and Arran, it grew from 49 to 145.

The average wait in Grampian now stands over a year at 408.5 days, with the longest standing at a staggering 2,122 days, almost six years.

The longest waits in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Lanarkshire and Tayside were all more than 1,000 days, in Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s case nearly nine times longer than in 2019-20. 

Scottish Labour women’s health spokeswoman Carol Mochan said: “In communities right across Scotland, women are being badly failed at the hands of the SNP.

“As our NHS fell into crisis on the SNP’s watch, women’s health was allowed to fall by the wayside.

“Women are being forced to pay the price for SNP incompetence as they are left to suffer for months or even years waiting for hysterectomies.

“Behind the SNP’s warm words, plans and strategies on women’s health is a record of broken promises.”

A Scottish government spokesperson said it was “investing £200 million to reduce waiting times,” adding: “We are supporting access to specialist women’s health services and tackling long waits for treatment.

“Gynaecology was an area targeted in our £30 million investment in planned care — delivering 3,500 additional new outpatient appointments.

“Scotland was the first country in the UK to publish a Women’s Health Plan.”