Dr Sandesh Gulhane is warning of a “winter storm” in Scotland’s NHS if the SNP do not get a grip on standards over the next few months.
The Scottish Conservative Shadow Health Secretary’s call comes ahead of the latest weekly accident and emergency waiting times being published today (Tuesday).
Last week saw yet another record worst A&E performance on the SNP’s watch with only 64.9% of patients in Scotland seen within four hours.
New analysis of Public Health Scotland data by the Scottish Conservatives has revealed that A&E performance against the 4-hour target time standard, has always been worse in winter than the preceding summer.
On average, A&E performance in winter has been over five percentage points down on the summer. In 2017 and 2020, the gap widened to nine points.
In June and July this year so far, a weekly average of only 67.8% of patients have been seen within four hours, which means come the winter months as many as four in ten patients could have to wait more than four hours.
The SNP’s own target says 95% of patients should be seen at A&E in less than four hours, but they have not met this target in over two years.
Sandesh Gulhane says that SNP Health Secretary Humza Yousaf’s flimsy NHS Recovery Plan, produced almost a year ago now needs to be urgently rewritten.
Scottish Conservative Shadow Health Secretary Dr Sandesh Gulhane MSP, said: “Right across Scotland, patients are already experiencing a summer of chaos with the longest waits ever for treatment in our NHS.
“Waiting times at A&E hit another record high on Humza Yousaf’s watch last week, yet the worst may still be to come for suffering patients and heroic frontline staff.
“Every year we have seen performance in our hospitals being better in the summer and worse in winter.
“Waiting times are already at a record high and the number of patients waiting for treatments is ever increasing.
“Suffering patients and staff who are beyond breaking point will likely face a winter storm later in the year.
“Make no mistake, Humza Yousaf’s inaction is at the heart of this chaos.
“The Health Secretary and the SNP should be fully focused on getting a grip on the crisis engulfing our NHS, not on their political obsession with holding another divisive independence referendum next year.
“Humza Yousaf needs to accept that his flimsy NHS Recovery Plan produced last year isn’t cutting it and needs rewritten.
“That new recovery plan must support staff at every turn to improve standards, before the winter period hits.”