New scheduling tool will increase capacity, reduce waiting times for operations

The Scottish Government has announced it has met a stated commitment to confirming all territorial NHS Health Boards in a national rollout plan for a new digital initiative.

The Infix Theatre Scheduling tool has been successfully piloted and shown to increase operating theatre productivity by up to 20 per cent for some clinical specialties.  The Scottish Government’s Operational Improvement Plan, published in March 2025, set out a commitment that all territorial health boards would be scheduled into a national rollout plan by the end of June 2025.

Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Neil Gray, confirmed at a visit to NHS Lothian’s Western General Hospital, where Infix has been implemented, that the commitment was met.  The scheduling tool is already operational in six health boards, and onboarding for the remainder has now been confirmed.

Mr Gray said:

“I am very pleased to visit NHS Lothian and discuss first hand the positive impact of this digital innovation.  The operating theatre scheduling tool supports health boards to optimise available operating theatre slots, find patients or procedures that best fill any gaps based on waiting list priority, and help people get the treatment they need as soon as possible. This means better use of NHS facilities and the additional flexibility delivered will help reduce waiting times. As per our stated commitment, all territorial health boards were scheduled into the rollout plan by the end of June 2025 and I look forward to further digital successes in the coming year.”

Pictured Left to Right: Jenny Fleming, General Manager, Western General Hospital; Iain Gorman, Service Director, Diagnostics, Anaesthetics, Theatres and Critical Care (DATCC); Professor Caroline Hiscox, NHS Lothian Chief Executive; Cabinet Secretary Neil Gray; Mr James Blackmur, Consultant Urologist; Dr Matthew Royds, Clinical Director for Western General Hospital, Anaesthesia and Chronic Pain; Jane McNulty, Associate Nursing Director DATCC; Jonathan Morgan, Lead Waiting List Co-ordinator, Colorectal, Urology and Breast; Professor John Connaghan, NHS Lothian Chair