Tackling heart disease is "a top priority"

Official statistics said the number of people awaiting inpatient and day case treatment had increased by 1,590 to 113,612 in the year to December 2004.

However, ministers said Scotland was leading the UK in the diagnosis and treatment of coronary heart disease.

They also pointed to a fall in the numbers waiting more than six months.

An update by the Information Statistics Division of NHS Scotland said that figure had dropped by 30% in the 12 months to December last year.

Health Minister Andy Kerr said that the figure of 5,976 was also 20% down on the previous quarter.

Median waits do not adequately reflect how quickly the NHS is seeing and treating patients Andy Kerr Health Minister

"We are seeing a consistent improvement in waiting times which means we are on course to meet our tough new six-month targets from the end of this year," he said.

"There is always a lot of debate around the number of people who are on the waiting list and around the median wait.

"But median waits do not adequately reflect how quickly the NHS is seeing and treating patients."

He said that there had been "huge improvements" in tackling the longest waits.

Mr Kerr added that the figures showed Scotland had the UK's shortest waiting times for the diagnosis and treatment of coronary heart disease.

'Huge tribute'

"We've made tackling heart disease - our greatest killer - a top priority and these figures show Scotland now leads the UK in this field," he said.

"This and the other achievements are a huge tribute to NHS teams around the country. They should be proud that their efforts are paying off."

No patients were waiting more than eight weeks for coronary angiography or more than 18 weeks for coronary revascularisation treatment in December 2004.

The executive has displayed a level of incompetence which few thought possible Nanette Milne Tory health spokeswoman

Last year the numbers waiting longer than the national standard were 88 and 48 respectively.

The figures also showed that the percentage of patients admitted for treatment in less than nine months rose during the last quarter.

The median wait for patients stood at 43 days during the three month period, an increase of three on last year but a level consistent with more recent quarters.

The number of outpatients waiting more than 26 weeks for an appointment on 31 December was 16% down on the figure for September.

Conservative health spokeswoman Nanette Milne said: "It is utterly unacceptable that while taxpayers' money is poured into the system, the annual number of people treated was over 28,000 fewer in 2004 than in 2003.

'Lack of progress'

"The executive has displayed a level of incompetence which few thought possible - more money, longer lists and fewer treatments."

Scottish National Party health spokeswoman Shona Robison said: "Despite the financial investment made in the NHS these figures clearly show the complete lack of progress being made to bring waiting lists and waiting times down.

"The fact is that these are more than a set of bleak statistics.