Nearly 200 people in Scotland suffering from chronic pain have died while waiting for an appointment to treat the problem in the last five years.
New official figures have revealed 197 patients were removed from pain clinic waiting lists because they had passed away before being treated by specialists.
There are more than 2,000 people waiting for a chronic pain appointment in Scotland, with hundreds on the list for months on end.
Pro-UK campaign Scotland in Union, which uncovered the figures, said the numbers dying while awaiting treatment was another “shameful” failure from the SNP.
Chronic pain is defined as a pain that continues for more than three months even with medication or treatment.
Pamela Nash, chief executive of Scotland in Union, said:
“These are people who have tragically died in severe pain while desperately waiting for treatment. This simply should never happen.
“This is another shameful failure from the SNP when it comes to the running of Scotland’s health service.
“For years, chronic pain patients have complained about the standard of service that has been provided under this SNP government.
“The SNP has been obsessed with the constitution when it should have focused on providing our NHS with the resources it needs.
“As part of the UK we have more to invest in the health service and this must be prioritised in the New Year.”
The full report is available here.
Last year, Scottish patients were sent to England for pain treatment after services here were stopped. See here.