Meeting of the Parliament 17 January 2024
The complacency of the SNP Government as the NHS spirals is staggering. As we have heard in the debate, from waiting times to workforce planning the NHS is in crisis. National treatment centres were touted by Humza Yousaf as the cure-all for capacity problems, but now the SNP has hit the brakes on NHS capital projects. You just could not make it up.
Almost 830,000 patients are on NHS waiting lists—a figure that is barely believable. A patient in Tayside waited almost four and a half years for orthopaedic surgery. Another in Grampian waited three years and 179 days for cataract surgery. The impact on patient treatment and staff morale is profound, and there is no end in sight.
The beleaguered health secretary has been distracted and has been more preoccupied with saving his own job than he has with plugging the gaps in NHS vacancies. Jackie Baillie highlighted promises that have been made by the SNP-Green Government, such as its promise to eliminate completely the longest waits in planned care. She gave it a “Fail, fail, fail, fail,” and she said that Michael Matheson has been distracted by personal scandals.
Michael Matheson apologised for the unacceptable waits. He gave us more spin about £1 billion for NHS recovery and the national strategy. He talked about transformation, but those are just words—they are not worth the paper that they are written on. It is statistical spin yet again, but people see the reality on the ground. He deflects, whether to Wales, Westminster or the pandemic. Why do we not believe what the cabinet secretary says any more?
Sandesh Gulhane said that the First Minister and cabinet secretary come to the chamber, make an announcement then fail to deliver, and then defend their record by tripping out spin and promising that lessons will be learned. Just look at CAMHS. As Sandesh Gulhane said, Humza Yousaf promised to clear CAMHS waiting times by March 2023. That matters, because poor mental health robs children of their childhood. Jamie Greene talked about the shocking and despicable lack of action on CAMHS waiting times. He described waits in his constituency of 91 weeks for a first appointment. He also asked where the Greens are. I notice that two Greens miraculously just turned up near the end of the debate, but did not listen to any of it.
Jamie Greene also talked about “creeping ineptitude in Government”, and Bob Doris said that
“not a single new idea”
is coming forward from anyone else. You’ve had 17 years, Bob Doris.