Scotland’s health service seems stuck in permanent crisis mode and it’s past time root causes were tackled.
The revelations we report today that our ambulance service was on “red alert” last week amid alarming A&E logjams is just the latest example. One 999 patient waited a shocking 12 hours to be transferred from an ambulance to a ward in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. That should simply not be happening.
It’s clear our ambulance crews have been stretched to breaking point for some time. The Daily Record has been reporting on this crisis for more than three years. That’s why it’s unacceptable for paramedics to be stuck waiting in hospital car parks for hours to offload patients, not to mention dangerous for those in their care.
In fact, we know that A&E failings are costing lives. New figures uncovered by Scottish Labour show casualty delays could have led to more than 2000 excess deaths this year. Our paramedics, like our A&E staff, do an outstanding job while chronically understaffed and overworked.
The NHS has never properly recovered from Covid and rates of staff burnout are through the roof. Ministers are failing to get the basics right by ensuring those on the frontline have the support and resources they need to do their jobs.
Ordinary Scots have their own role to play at this time of year by not ringing 999 or heading to A&E for ailments that are not emergencies. But the reality is clear, nearly five years on from the outbreak of the pandemic, our NHS is fundamentally in crisis and an emergency plan to fix it is needed right now.
Let the light in
We would like to take this opportunity to wish all our readers a very Merry Christmas.
This is a season for spending time with our loved ones but for many, it’s also a time of reflection. Reflecting on 2024, it’s fair to say it has been a tough year for lots of people.
Many Scots are struggling to make ends meet. There has been a change in government at Westminster but that’s yet to make much of a difference to working people.
The world seems a more dangerous and uncertain place than ever. But there’s always hope, and Christmas is all about hope.
The festive season is also about taking a break from our daily worries, relaxing and enjoying the company of family and friends. So with that in mind, we wish all our readers a very Merry Christmas. Have a cracker of a day tomorrow.
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