The Scottish Arthroplasty Project reported 17,399 first (primary) hip or knee replacements were performed in hospitals in 2024 compared to 15,908 in 2019.

Health secretary Neil Gray said: ‘These figures show our plan to bring down waiting lists in the NHS is working, making it easier for people in Scotland living with a chronic painful condition to get the treatment or procedure they need.  

‘I am also pleased to see that patients are spending less time in the hospital following hip, knee, or shoulder replacements, thanks to advancements in both surgical techniques and pain management.

‘We will continue to drive improvements like these in the months ahead and I would like to thank NHS staff across the country for their outstanding efforts in facilitating this additional activity, which is positively impacting people's lives.'

The annual report showed the mean length of hospital stays, for both primary hip and primary knee procedures, fell from 5 days to 2.6 days over the last 10 years.

There was a 7.7% increase in planned operations across all procedures compared to the same month last year.

The Government said extra investment to tackle NHS waits was expected to deliver over 300,000 appointments and procedures this year.