MP Jamie Stone calls for more local health services to get NHS back on track
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Far north Liberal Democrat MP Jamie Stone has hit out at the SNP for “failing” NHS Highland as new figures revealed 9368 operations were cancelled in the area during the pandemic.
According to the MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, the latest data shows that 220,653 scheduled operations across Scotland were cancelled between March 2020 and April 2021.
In total, of the 9368 that were cancelled by NHS Highland, 4.6 per cent were due to a lack of capacity or for a non-clinical reason.
Mr Stone's comments came last week as Raigmore was given 'code black' status amid rising Covid cases in the region, which saw the hospital reach capacity and elective surgery cancelled along with some outpatient work.
Mr Stone hit out at the “centralisation” he sees as being close to the heart of the problem and criticised local MSP Maree Todd, who is also the minister for public health, after her response to the code black status.
He said: "The fact we've seen so many cancelled operations poses a huge challenge and requires action but all the minister for public health Maree Todd has to say is that the government is ‘acutely aware’ of the pressures facing our health board – acutely aware yet acutely inactive.
“Staff are shattered. The weight of work required to get Scotland’s health services back on track is formidable. The Scottish Government must give staff the space and the resources to get the health service back on track, without staff sacrificing their own health and wellbeing.
"They must look again at the need to decentralise our health system, so operations can be carried out close to where people live. This will reduce waiting times and minimise patient pre-op anxiety by not forcing them to travel for hours for such critical treatment."
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “We recognise the additional pressure NHS staff are facing as they work tirelessly to respond to the pandemic whilst continuing to provide vital treatment and safe patient care.
“We are in daily contact with boards facing the greatest challenges and are monitoring the situation closely.
“NHS Highland has provided assurances that those of most clinical urgency, including vital cancer treatment, will continue during this challenging period.
“Any reductions to service will be short-term to ensure that those of most critical need have the immediate medical attention they require. We are working with health boards to remobilise our NHS safely, ensuring decision making is clinically led and evidence-based.”
Earlier, public health minister Maree Todd was responding to a query put to the government about additional support for NHS Highland due to the current crisis caused by staff absences due to self-isolation because of the surge in Covid cases.
She said: “We are acutely aware of the pressure within NHS Highland and the board have provided assurances that those of most clinical urgency, including vital cancer treatment, will continue during this challenging period."
NHS Highland said on Monday that it no longer considered itself to be on code black.
