Cole-Hamilton: 1 in 7 Scots still languishing on an NHS waiting list

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader and health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP today called on the Cabinet Secretary to “wake up to the reality of this crisis” following the news that 1 in 7 Scots are still on an NHS waiting list.

According to the latest data from Public Health Scotland, 772,887 people are now on an NHS waiting list. This means there are still around 1 in 7 Scots on a waiting list.

Mr Cole-Hamilton said:

“These statistics lay bare the impacts of the failure of this SNP/ Green coalition to manage Scotland’s NHS. They have been ignoring and deflecting when it comes to our healthcare crisis.  

“We’ve grown used to hearing about the crisis in our NHS, but that 1 in 7 Scots are still languishing on a waiting list is just completely unacceptable, and the lack of action from the government is an insult to doctors, nurses and patients waiting in pain.  

"Scottish Liberal Democrats have repeatedly called for a burnout prevention strategy and a staff and social care assembly, but these have been ignored time and time again by Humza Yousaf who is determined to blame the pandemic for all the failures that have happened under his watch.  

“Mr Yousaf now seems infinitely more interested in his own political ambitions than sorting out this mess. He needs to wake up to the reality of this crisis and get to work. Staff and patients have been suffering for far too long to entertain yet more nonsense from this government and this failed health secretary.”