Patients Wait A Fortnight Longer Under Labour

Waiting times figures out today (Thursday) show that since Labour came to power in 1997 Scots patients are having to wait almost two weeks longer for an out-patient appointment. Commenting on this failure by the Government to deliver the SNP Shadow Deputy Health and Community Care Minister Ms Shona Robision MSP said:

"Since Labour came to power in 1997 patients are having to wait almost two weeks longer for an out patient appointment – median wait is now 57 days compared to 44 in December 1997. Thousands of patients across Scotland are suffering while they wait for months - even years - for treatment while Labour Ministers spend their time infighting and backbiting.

"Nearly five years after taking power, Labour has run out of ideas on how to solve the crisis in our health service. Faced with failing to deliver on their waiting list manifesto pledge, Labour dumped their promise to the electorate and said that waiting times would become the litmus test of NHS performance (Scottish Executive press release, SE2024/2001, 30 August). They have now failed to deliver on this pledge.

"These figures are for the summer period, if Labour can't deliver improvements over the summer, I shudder to think what will happen in our hospitals if we have a harsh winter or a flu outbreak."