Scotland’s health secretary Humza Yousaf has faced questions over the state of the NHS, which has come under almost unbearable strain over the winter.
Latest statistics show that, in the week ending January 22, more than 2,300 people spent more than eight hours in A&E – more than 1,000 of them were there longer than 12 hours.
While waiting times have improved slightly, only 70.1% of patients were dealt with inside four hours – well below the Scottish Government target of 95%, which was last met in July 2020.
Meanwhile, the number of people stuck in hospital despite being fit to leave has soared by 25% in a year, blamed by the Scottish Government on a lack of social care packages.
And none of Scotland’s 14 health boards ensured everyone suspected of having cancer was seen by a specialist within 62 days.
Targets for young people being seen by mental health specialists are also routinely missed, while average wait times for ambulances are growing.
In an interview with STV’s Scotland Tonight, the health secretary said:
- The current NHS funding model was not in question
- It has been a challenging time for the NHS, but it’s getting better
- Waiting times targets won’t be met any time soon
- Full recovery of the NHS will take years
Watch the full interview with presenter Rona Dougall at the top of this page. Scotland Tonight is on STV at 8.30pm on Thursday, February 2, or catch up on the STV Player.
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