Scottish Conservative and Unionist candidate for Midlothian, Keith Cockburn says the backlog for patients in NHS Lothian has “spiralled out of control” on the SNP’s watch.
New statistics from Public Health Scotland revealed this week that a record 840,300 patients across Scotland were on an NHS waiting list for inpatient or outpatient appointments or a key diagnostic test as of the end of March.
That is almost 55,000 more patients than the same time last year.
In Lothian, there are now 6,567 more patients on an NHS backlog than 12 months ago, which Keith has described as “a damning indictment of the SNP’s mismanagement of Scotland’s NHS".
Caveat for NHS Borders and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde where patient numbers have fallen.
Keith Cockburn says it is “utterly shocking” that thousands of patients in Lothian remain on waiting lists, with precious little progress made over the last year.
Keith says that dire workforce planning from successive SNP health secretaries has left services in Lothian dangerously overstretched and unable to meet patient demand, despite the best efforts of dedicated staff.
Keith Cockburn added that the SNP have prioritised their independence obsession over cutting NHS waiting times for suffering patients - and that they will continue to do so if Nationalist MPs are elected at the General Election on July 4.
Scottish Conservative and Unionist candidate Keith Cockburn said: “Thousands of patients in Lothian are continuing to suffer due to the SNP’s inaction on tackling NHS waiting lists.
“The fact that the backlog is continuing to increase is a damning indictment of the SNP’s mismanagement of the NHS in Scotland.
“They have now spiralled out of control despite the best efforts of dedicated staff in Lothian, and the SNP have no plan to fix this crisis.
“Dire workforce planning by a succession of SNP health secretaries has left services in Lothian dangerously overstretched.
“These soaring backlogs are a direct result of the SNP obsessing over independence and pushing it at every opportunity, rather than focusing on people’s real priorities in Midlothian such as cutting NHS waiting times.
“The SNP should start by adopting the ambitious proposals set out by us to deliver a modern, efficient and local health service.
“At the General Election on July 4, you have the chance to end the SNP’s independence obsession for good and ensure the focus moves onto the issues that matter, such as reducing the unacceptable patient backlog in Lothian”
Notes: The figures can be found here: https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/nhs-waiting-times-stage-of-treatment/stage-of-treatment-waiting-times-inpatients-day-cases-and-new-outpatients-quarter-ending-31-march-2024/
