Urology patients in Tayside have been told they must wait more than a year for an appointment.
Health Minister Jeane Freeman has agreed to investigate complaints about lengthy delays, which management say are caused by staffing issues.
The problem was raised by Mid-Scotland and Fife MSP Murdo Fraser after two residents told him they faced a wait of 60 weeks to see a specialist.
NHS Tayside stressed steps are being taken to reduce times which were, a spokeswoman accepted, “longer than we would wish.”
Mr Fraser said: “The health minister told me the average waiting time for a urology outpatient appointment was 32 days at NHS Tayside, but I have been told by two separate constituents in the past few weeks who were told they would have to wait 60 weeks to see a specialist urologists in Tayside, which is frankly ridiculous.”
He said: “For people who are having to deal with a painful and sometimes distressing condition, a wait of a year and two months is too long and totally unacceptable.
“It is not good enough having people waiting for these length of times. It caused them unnecessary anxiety.
“Hopefully this matter will now be properly addressed with the help of the health minister.”
An NHS Tayside spokeswoman said: “We recognise that routine waiting times in our urology service are longer than we would wish and we understand that this can be upsetting for patients and their families.”
She said: “During 2019 the urology department experienced a number of complex service challenges, including staffing vacancies and unplanned staff absence.
“This impacted on our ability to provide some procedures locally within the waiting time target. To address this and to reduce waiting times for patients, NHS Tayside referred some patients to an appropriate independent provider for their procedure.”
The spokeswoman added: “Reduction in waiting times for Urology Services has been a specific focus for NHS Tayside over the past months resulting in an improved position, medical staff joining the urology team in recent months will further support a reduction in urology waiting times.
“The small number of people who have been waiting over 52 weeks are all booked in for appointments in March and April.”
She said the opening of the Tayside Urology Treatment Centre in Perth Royal Infirmary had helped reduce average waiting times for routine appointments from 22 to 15 weeks.
