Jackie Baillie MSP has called for the Scottish Government to provide more support and resources for our NHS as the SNP’s waiting times law has been broken over 70,000 times 2018.

The figures, from ISD Scotland, show that the 12 week Treatment Time Guarantee was broken 71,611 times in the last year. In NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, the law was broken 16,193 times in 2018.

The Treatment Time Guarantee, brought in by the SNP Government, was supposed to give patients the legal right to treatment within 12 weeks.

Jackie said:

“Behind these shocking figures are real people, waiting in pain and distress for the treatment that they need.

“The SNP promised patients in Scotland that they would have the legal right to treatment within 12 weeks. Yet the constant under-resourcing of our health service and a staffing crisis means that this guarantee simply cannot be met.

“The Health Secretary has stated that the 12-week Treatment Time Guarantee will not be met until 2021, so, until then, patients are expected to just wait.

“This is simply not good enough. Scotland needs a government that will invest in vital services like health and social care.”