Latest news with #JackieBaillie
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Health
- Daily Record
Scots 'forced to wait years' for hernia operations as NHS struggles to meet demand
One patient treated by NHS Grampian waited 1,818 days for an inguinal hernia repair, while another treated by NHS Ayrshire and Arran waited 1,416 days. Scots are being "forced to wait years" for hernia operations as the NHS continues to struggle to meet demand. Figures uncovered by Scottish Labour found that some patients are waiting up to four years for the procedure. One patient treated by NHS Grampian waited 1,818 days for an inguinal hernia repair in 2024, while another treated by NHS Ayrshire and Arran waited 1,416 days – more than six times the longest wait at the same health board in 2019. In every health board for which data was provided, the median completed wait increased between 2019 and 2024. In NHS Lothian and NHS Shetland, the median wait had increased by more than four times over the five years, while in NHS Ayrshire & Arran it had increased by more than three times. Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour health spokeswoman, said: "Behind these figures are Scots condemned to live with discomfort and pain for no reason other than the SNP's incompetence. Just a few years ago, patients could expect a hernia to be removed within months – now in many cases they are forced to wait years. "Sadly, under the SNP, hernia patients are just some of the 100,000 waiting for over a year for the treatment they need. Scottish Labour will maximise theatre capacity and free up hospital beds so that patients can get the surgery they need and move on with their lives." It comes after official figures showed waits of more than two years for NHS specialist appointments and treatment in Scotland have become more common. Public Health Scotland said the waiting list for those referred to an outpatient clinic more than two years ago was at the highest level it had ever recorded, with the number more than tripling to 5,262. Government targets to provide treatment within 12 weeks were also still not being met for thousands of patients, with 24 per cent of waits recorded going on for more than a year. First Minister John Swinney used a set-piece speech in January to pledge to do more to bring down waiting lists. The SNP leader admitted patients were not getting "the right care in the right place at the right time" and warned that waiting times were the "canary in the coal mine". Swinney pledged the health service would carry out an extra 150,000 appointments and procedures in the coming year. The SNP Government has made a series of commitments to tackle NHS backlogs since the pandemic. But targets to "eradicate" long waits have been missed with waiting lists and delayed discharge figures hitting record highs. Audit Scotland previously warned that "difficult decisions" might have to be made about whether the NHS can continue to provide some services. The Record asked the Scottish Government for comment.
Daily Record
3 days ago
- Health
- Daily Record
SNP 'sitting on cash' rather than investing in Scottish hospices, warns Labour
Labour has pledged hospice-based doctors and nurses would see their wages rise to NHS levels if the party takes power at the Holyrood. The SNP Government must ensure that hospices in Scotland are given enough cash to address the financial crisis facing the sector, Labour has warned. The call comes after UK ministers announced £75 million would be shared among 170 facilities in England – believed to be the biggest boost ever for the sector. The cash will go towards building separate family rooms, adding solar panels to reduce energy costs and communal lounges. Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour health spokeswoman, last week pledged hospice-based doctors and nurses would see their wages rise to NHS levels if her party takes power at the Holyrood election next year. The Scottish Government promised in its budget to fund hospices to allow pay for staff to be increased to match levels in the NHS, but Labour has claimed the funding has not yet been released. Baillie said: 'While the UK Labour Government is investing in hospices, the SNP is sitting on cash rather than giving this vital part of our health system the resources it needs. 'The SNP committed to £5 million in this year's budget to cover salary rises for last year, yet so far this has not been delivered. 'The SNP must give hospices the money they are owed and match Scottish Labour's pledge on pay so that staff are treated fairly and patients get the specialist support they deserve.' Baillie vowed Scottish Labour would increase hospice funding by a further £3.6 million this year and £3.3 million next year, in line with NHS spending, if the party wins the 2026 Holyrood election. The UK Government announced its funding increase today, with minister Stephen Kinnock praising the impact of the facilities. "Hospices play a vital role in our society by providing invaluable care and support when people need it most,' he said. "At this most difficult time, people deserve to receive the best care in the best possible environment with dignity. "I've seen first-hand how our funding is already making a real difference to improving facilities for patients and families. This additional funding will deliver further upgrades, relieving pressure on day-to-day spending. "End-of-life care is crucial to our 10 Year Health Plan and our fundamental shift of moving more care out of hospital and into the community. We will continue to support hospices so they can deliver their vital work.' The Scottish Government is being asked for comment.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
John Swinney accused of hitting the Scottish independence 'panic button' as First Minister vows to 'turn up the heat' for a new referendum ... again
was accused of hitting an independence 'panic button' today as he may yet another desperate attempt to win a new vote on pulling Scotland out of the UK. The SNP First Minister vowed to 'turn up the heat' on Keir Starmer in a bid to get a new referendum, 11 years after Scots voted to stay in the union. Writing in the National newspaper he pledged to increase support for Scotland leaving the UK and stressed the importance of supporters of independence backing the SNP at next year's Holyrood election. But he was immediately accused of trying to deflect voters attention from problems facing Scots. Alastair Cameron, chairman of Scotland in Union, said he was playing to independence 'obsessives with 'tired and desperate rhetoric', adding: 'Scotland deserves a government which prioritises the issues which matter most such as health, education and jobs.' And Scottish Labour deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie added: 'Twenty five years ago (he) claimed that independence was ''closer than ever''. 'Now he is attempting to lead his troops up the hill once more – but even they don't buy it.' Since the first vote in 2014, successive UK governments have repeatedly turned down calls for a second referendum, with the UK Supreme Court ruling in 2022 that only Westminster can allow another poll. The First Minister pledged to mobilise support around the calling of another vote, though Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is extremely unlikely to back down. The first point of the three-part plan outlined by Mr Swinney – who has been feeling some pressure since the SNP lost in June the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election to up his push for independence – focuses on increasing support for leaving the UK. 'First, it will be a campaign designed to build the highest levels of support possible for independence as the best future for Scotland,' he wrote. 'I will be saying to those who voted Yes in 2014, and who have become independence supporters in the years since, that what they believed in then is just as valid today. 'They saw that Britain was fundamentally broken, that Westminster couldn't deliver on their dreams and aspirations, and what they saw has come to pass. And now it is time to do something about it. 'But I will also be urging people who were not persuaded of the merits of independence in 2014 to see the state of Britain today and take a different view.' Since taking over as SNP leader for the second time, Mr Swinney has stressed the need to increase consistent support for independence before a referendum can be pushed for, saying in a speech in January the idea has to become a 'compelling proposition' for Scots. The second point of his new plan, the First Minister said, is to put pressure on Westminster. 'Second, that means building public pressure around Scotland's fundamental national rights,' he wrote. 'The UK parties speak of a partnership of equals, but those are empty words if Scotland does not have the ability to determine her own future. 'We are ready to turn the heat up on Westminster and its anti-democratic stance, mobilising the support, energy and the impetus of people in Scotland behind the simple idea: no ifs, no buts, Scotland has the right to choose.' The third point of the strategy is to deliver an 'emphatic win' for the SNP in next year's Holyrood election. 'I want to persuade independence supporters that the way to deliver independence is only with an emphatic SNP win in 2026 and the priority is to do that now,' he wrote. 'History tells us that only when the SNP is doing well is there any prospect of advancing on Scotland's constitutional cause. 'During the next Parliament we reach the point where there will be one million people eligible to vote who, last time around, were too young to do so or not even born. A generation has now clearly passed. 'It's time for the one change that will actually make a difference for Scotland, for the fresh start our nation needs so badly. It's time for Scotland to craft her destiny by ensuring Scotland's future is in the hands of the people of Scotland.' Scottish Conservative deputy leader Rachael Hamilton said: 'Scots are scunnered with John Swinney and the SNP's endless obsession with independence. 'The nationalists are continuing to prioritise their own interests rather than focusing on what truly impacts the lives of Scots. 'Patients cannot get a GP appointment, our economy is flatlining, and standards have plummeted in our schools. 'That is what John Swinney should be focusing on, rather than rehashing the same old arguments on independence that Scots are not interested in.' Neale Hanvey, the depute leader of the Alba Party, described Mr Swinney's plan as 'utterly hollow', adding: 'There's no strategy there, just the same old song of waiting for the right moment, hoping for a miracle.'
Daily Record
16-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
Over one third of patients at University Hospital Wishaw's A&E department waited more than eight hours for treatment
Official date shows 292 patients (22.6 per cent) waited more than eight hours and 156 patients (12.1 per cent) waited more than 12 hours. Over one third of patients at University Hospital Wishaw's A&E department waited more than eight hours for treatment shock new figures have revealed. The latest A&E waiting time figures show that for the week ending July 6, 564 patients were seen within the four hour target - that's 56.3 per cent. However, 292 patients (22.6 per cent) waited more than eight hours and 156 patients (12.1 per cent) waited more than 12 hours as hard-working NHS staff continue to battle crippling waiting times. At other NHS Lanarkshire hospitals, University Hospital Monklands 52.7 per cent of patients were seen within the four hour target. But 18.2 per cent of patients waited more than eight hours and 7.9 per cent waited 12 hours. At Hairmyres in East Kilbride, 58.2 per cent were seen within four hours. However, the numbers for long waits dropped considerably with 11.2 per cent of patients waiting eight hours and 3.5 per cent waiting 12 hours. Health Secretary, and Airdrie and Shotts MSP, Neil Gray insisted Scotland's A&E departments were the best performing in the UK in the past decade. 'The latest weekly figures show continued improvement in performance, both compared to the previous week and the same period in 2024,' he said. 'In addition, 12-hour waits have decreased by 16.4 per cent compared to this time last year. 'This is welcome progress. However, I know that some people are still waiting too long for treatment and I am determined to drive further improvement. 'We are investing £200 million to reduce waiting times, improve hospital flow, and minimise delayed discharges. 'Our recently announced expansion of the Hospital at Home initiative to 2,000 beds by the end of 2026 will ensure more people can receive first class NHS care in the comfort of their own homes and not have to travel to a hospital where it isn't required.' In the week previously, 56.5 per cent of patients at Wishaw were seen within the four hour target; the figure dropped to 47.3 per cent for Hairmyres. However, Monklands had 61.3 per cent of patients seen within the target period. Across Scotland, 68.2 per cent of A&E attendances in the week to July 6 were seen and subsequently admitted or discharged within the four-hour target time. The figure continues a trend of small increases, rising from 67.8 per cent the previous week. The Scottish Government aims to ensure 95 per cent of people are seen within four hours. Opposition parties rounded on the health secretary and the Scottish Government over the figures. Scottish Labour deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie said: 'Lives are still being put at risk by the chaos in A&E - this cannot be allowed to become the new normal. 'Every single week thousands of Scots are facing dangerously long waits for urgent care, despite the tireless efforts of dedicated NHS staff. 'It has been years since the SNP last met its A&E targets and it is still falling badly short - there is absolutely no room for complacency.' Scottish Tory health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane added: 'John Swinney should hang his head in shame. 'It's the height of summer, yet nearly a third of patients are still waiting over four hours to be seen at A&E. 'Our NHS is buckling under pressure that should have eased months ago - because one SNP Health Secretary after another has run it into the ground. *Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.
Daily Record
15-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
Scots hospice workers 'not getting a fair deal' on pay under SNP Government
Scottish Labour pledged hospice-based doctors and nurses would see their wages rise to NHS levels if the party won power at Holyrood. Scots hospice workers are "not getting a fair deal on pay" under the SNP Government and are struggling to retain and recruit staff as a result, Labour has claimed. Jackie Baillie today pledged hospice-based doctors and nurses would see their wages rise to NHS levels if her party takes power at the Holyrood election next year. The Scottish Labour health spokeswoman said hospices played a crucial role in Scotland's healthcare system and support families through some of the most difficult times of their lives. But the MSP warned the sector was already under significant financial pressure due to underfunding by SNP ministers. Speaking on a visit to the CHAS hospice in Balloch, Baillie said the funding shortfall has made it difficult for hospices to match NHS pay for its doctors, nurses and hospice team without cutting services. Scottish Labour has now pledged to fund pay parity between Agenda for Change staff in hospices and the NHS – protecting services and giving vital hospice workers a fair deal. Jacki Smart, chair of the Scottish Hospice Leadership Group, welcomed the pledge and said it was a "visible and tangible commitment to support Scotland's hospices". Baillie said: "Doctors and nurses in hospices play a vital role in our healthcare system, caring for our loved ones and supporting families through some of the most difficult times of their lives – but these incredible staff are not getting a fair deal. The sector has been sounding the alarm about mounting financial pressures for years, but the SNP's response has been too little too late. Hospices shouldn't be forced to make an impossible choice between matching NHS pay and protecting services. A Scottish Labour government will value hospice workers and support this important sector by funding fair pay for hospice staff.' Smart, CEO of Accord Hospice, added: "This is a visible and tangible commitment to support Scotland's hospices and we strongly welcome it. Frontline hospice staff will be delighted. Hospices employ the most dedicated and talented people, and they deserve to be paid fairly. "Given hospices face extreme pressures from rising pay for doctors, nurses and all the vital support staff, this is hugely welcome and adds pressure to the need for urgent action." The Record has asked the Scottish Government for comment.
