Anas Sarwar is right to say Scots want treatment, not apologies when it comes to the NHS
Anas Sarwar is right to say Scots want treatment, not apologies, when it comes to the NHS.
One in six people are currently stuck on a waiting list of some kind, a dire insight into the challenges that continue to plague our health service years after the Covid pandemic.
Outpatient waiting times only worsen, with more than 5000 Scots left waiting more than two years for some procedures.
The First Minister again apologised when pressed on the matter at Holyrood yesterday, something that is becoming a regular occurrence.
But it's action, not words, that patients need. The SNP government points to the fact that a record £21billion will be spent on the NHS in Scotland this year.
But it's how that money is spent that counts. Chucking money at problems will not make them go away. It won't solve staff retention issues when nurses report feeling burned out and overworked.
There is also no denying Scotland, like the rest of the UK, is still living with the intolerable burden of the pandemic. Health chiefs are warning of the risks of measles after more cases were recorded in Scotland in the first five months of the year than all of 2024.
Too many adults have bought in to internet conspiracies in recent years about the safety of vaccinations. Two years ago there was just one case of measles in Scotland but last year that rose to 24 laboratory-confirmed cases.
It is vital every child receives every vaccination they are entitled to. We can all play our part in getting the NHS back on track. Getting vaccinated is part of that national effort.
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Old bill blunders rack up huge bill
Police bosses will no doubt be lobbying for greater resources the next time Scottish Government budgets are being set, with a strong case for a bigger slice of the pie.
More frontline cops are certainly needed to combat Scotland's youth violence epidemic. And officers are currently engaged in a massive operation to nail the culprits responsible for the recent war between crime gangs.
So it is frustrating that the force has shipped out £18million in compensation claims in the last six years. That money could have been spent on frontline officers, new equipment or community outreach programmes.
Instead, it has been paid out to members of the public and former officers after a variety of blunders. If Chief Constable Jo Farrell wants more public cash, she has to make sure her force stops making so many mistakes.
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