Almost 10,000 less Scots were admitted to hospital for planned treatment in March compared to the same time last year as the impact of Covid-19 was felt by the NHS.
New figures showed 16,561 patients were admitted to hospital for inpatient or day-case procedures in March this year - down from 26,033 twelve months before.
The fall was revealed in the latest NHS waiting-time statistics, which also showed at the end of March this year there were 79,973 patients waiting for treatment to whom the Scottish Government's 12-week treatment time guarantee applies.
This sets out in law that patients waiting for inpatient or day-case treatment should receive that care within 84 days.Of those who were admitted to hospital in the first three months of