Scottish Labour MP for East Kilbride and Strathaven Joani Reid has blasted John Swinney’s claim to have taken personal control over health policy in Scotland.
The First Minister has taken an increasingly hands-on approach to the health brief and his Government’s response to Scotland’s crisis-hit NHS, with Labour saying Health Secretary Neil Gray has been “sidelined” since late last year.
Experts warn the NHS is at breaking point, with demand for care soaring and staffing levels at breaking point. Over 800,000 Scots are on waiting lists and nearly 1700 people waited over twelve hours in A+E over Christmas.
Mr Swinney is now in charge of weekly meetings with NHS leaders including Gray and health service chiefs.
But East Kilbride MP Joani Reid has claimed John Swinney’s “panic” over the state of NHS in Scotland “is no answer”.
“The First Minister seems to have just discovered what the rest of us have known for months or even years: under SNP rule the NHS in Scotland is in deep and dangerous decline”, said Ms Reid.
“But his panicked decision to sideline his health minister and take personal charge is no answer, because it is no change in direction.
“The tough decisions the UK Labour government have taken mean there is real money in the hands of Scottish government to finance reform and investment in our NHS if they really want.
“Down south the health secretary has announced he will use his share of that money to fund change in how services operate, to drive up efficiency and to deliver change.
“But from the SNP we hear nothing but the noise of ministerial chairs being shuffled around.
“The truth is that the SNP are tired and out of ideas. They have nothing new to offer and under their rule the NHS will never be the Scottish government’s priority. And people have had enough of that.”
Asked if he had taken direct control of the health service, Mr Swinney said: “I am working with Neil to make sure that we give everything we can to make sure the National Health Service is able to navigate its way through the challenges that we are facing.”
Mr Swinney said the NHS is “under the most amount of pressure.”
He added: “We’ve got to be intensely focused on increasing the number of cases that are dealt with – about making sure people get speedier access to treatment – and that we can support people to get care at the earliest possible opportunity. That’s the focus of the work that I am undertaking just now.”
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