These Regulations amend the Patient Rights (Treatment Time Guarantee) (Scotland) Regulations 2012 (“the principal Regulations”).

Regulation 2(4) inserts a new regulation 4A into the principal Regulations to set out further periods of time which are to be disregarded for the purpose of calculating waiting time, where that is reasonable and clinically appropriate in all the circumstances and where the patient accepts that such periods are to be disregarded.

Regulation 2(5) removes, from the principal Regulations, certain exceptions to the treatment time guarantee. Therefore the treatment time guarantee will apply to those treatments and services, being:

• designated national specialist services for the surgical intervention of spinal scoliosis

• the treatment of injuries, deformities or disease of the spine by an injection or surgical intervention.