Highlands and Islands MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston has voiced concern over the spiralling number of patients on hospital waiting lists across his region.
Mr Halcro Johnston was responding to new statistics from Public Health Scotland that showed the numbers waiting for both outpatient and inpatient appointments had risen steeply in the Highland, Orkney and Shetland Health Board regions.
Across the three boards, the numbers of people waiting for an outpatient appointment had soared from 11,801 in March 2020 to 20,582 in December 2021, while over the same period the numbers waiting for an inpatient appointment had risen from 5,618 to 7,344.
He said: “These figures are of real concern as they show a health service that is, despite the remarkable efforts of staff, under very great pressure.
“We all understand the impact of the COVID pandemic and, since these figures were collected in December, hopefully there may have been an improvement. But reducing waiting lists must be a focus of the Scottish Government.
“It should be a priority for Nicola Sturgeon and her beleaguered Health Secretary, Humza Yousaf. Unfortunately, all too often, we are left with the very strong impression that the First Minister’s political priorities lie elsewhere.
“Our NHS staff work wonders but they cannot be expected to work miracles. And they certainly can’t be expected to drive down these waiting times without the proper resources and full attention of the Scottish Government.”
