ISD figures released today have revealed that Psychological Therapies Waiting Times - Number of patients seen during the month by Health Board, Apr 2017 - Jun 2017 were worse in the Scottish Borders than the national average in Scotland.
In the Scottish Borders the number of patients seen within 18 months was 65.9% - the target is 90%. April (79.6%) May (60%) and June (55.8%) all missed the 90% target.
Those patients that had to wait over 18 weeks to be seen was 34.1%.
In Scotland the number of patients seen within 18 months was 72.4%. In two out of the three months May (71.5%) and June (74.5%) performed better than those months in the Scottish Borders.
The national average of those patients that had to wait longer than 18 weeks was 27.6%.
Rachael Hamilton MSP said:‘It is alarming that patients in the Scottish Borders had to wait, on average, longer than the rest of the country for psychological therapy.
‘This is yet more evidence that the Scottish Borders is being let down by an SNP Government that does not recognise the challenges rural health boards face.'