Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions she has had with the Scottish Government about waiting times in Scotland compared with England.

It is unacceptable that patients across the United Kingdom continue to wait lengthy periods for treatment and it is imperative that the elective waiting list and ambulance response times are top priorities for all four nations.

While health is predominantly a devolved issue, the Department works collaboratively with the devolved governments wherever possible, to drive forward our objective of supporting people to lead more independent, healthier lives for longer. There are National Health Service England Working Groups across the four nations that meet regularly to discuss both elective care and urgent and emergency care.