FMQs: John Swinney admits people 'waiting too long at A&E' as 'NHS on life support' across Scotland
The First Minister has been accused of letting down patients all across Scotland during an exchange with the Scottish Labour leader.
John Swinney has been warned the NHS is “on life support” across all parts of Scotland - as the First Minister came under fire for long accident-and-emergency (A&E) waits causing hundreds of deaths.
Mr Swinney admitted "people are waiting too long” in A&E departments, as he was quizzed alongside warnings over cuts to maternity services in rural areas. However, the First Minister claimed many “challenges and weaknesses” in the NHS were a result of the “aftermath of the pandemic”.
Speaking at First Minister’s Questions on Thursday, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar pointed to research from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine that found long waits in A&E caused more than 800 deaths “that could have been prevented”.
Mr Sarwar warned “that is over 800 families grieving a loved one”, as he asked: “Why year after year is this happening under this SNP Government?”
In response, Mr Swinney said he would “express my regret and my apologies to the families of those individuals affected”, adding the findings were “challenging information”.
He said: “I accept that people are waiting too long in accident and emergency, whether it’s on the four hour, eight hour or 12-hour waits.”
But the First Minister pointed to the latest monthly A&E figures, which he stressed showed the “lowest number of 12-hour waits of any month since September 2023”.
The Scottish Labour leader warned that “despite the heroic efforts of NHS staff, the SNP is failing patients across Scotland”. He highlighted the case of 19-year-old Brooke Paterson, who was forced to wait five hours for an ambulance after she broke her leg during a football match in North Lanarkshire.
Mr Sarwar said: “Despite the clear medical emergency, Brooke was left lying in pain on the pitch under jackets and coats for five hours until an ambulance arrived.”
In response, Mr Swinney said: “I apologise to Brooke Paterson.” The First Minister said he had “made some investigations this morning”, adding: “I regret very much the experience Brooke Paterson had.”
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He added: “It looks to me as if an error was made in the classification of this particular call, which has not had the priority it should have had. That is not acceptable. That is an error that has been made.”
But Mr Sarwar warned that “across Scotland, our NHS is on life support”.
He highlighted a decision for maternity services in Stranraer to “temporarily” close in 2018.
Mr Sarwar said: “Seven years on, it is now permanently closed putting women at risk. The mothers I met are distraught.
“Claire Fleming said that her cousin had to travel from Stranraer to Dumfries to give birth. She ended up having to pull into a farm drive and have her baby there.
“Every part of our NHS is struggling on the SNP’s watch.”
Mr Swinney stressed “there are challenges and weaknesses in the provision of healthcare systems in the aftermath of the pandemic”, adding he was “absolutely focused, along with the health secretary, in addressing all of those issues”.
He acknowledged that rural maternity concerns was “a difficult issue” but insisted decisions were made on “clinical advice”.
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