SNP plan for NHS is working, says Swinney

The SNP’s plan for the NHS “is working”, First Minister John Swinney has said.

Speaking ahead of a campaign stop in Dundee, the First Minister pointed to declining waiting times for treatment and the rollout of GP walk-in centres across the country.

But, just last week, the Scottish Government admitted in a report that it would not hit its target of ridding the country of year-long waits for treatment, with some still waiting for a procedure after two years.

Scotland’s emergency departments have also struggled in recent years, falling well short of the Government target of 95% of people seen within four hours.

Figures for the most recent week showed just 64.9% of people were seen within the goal time.

Swinney said: “The SNP is focused entirely on the priorities of the people of Scotland – improving the NHS, increasing support with the cost of living and delivering the fresh start of independence.

“And I know that the NHS is people’s top priority and that is why we have worked tirelessly to deliver improvements.

“Long waits have fallen for eight months in a row, GP numbers are up, the number of operations is rising and GP walk-in centres are springing up in communities across Scotland. Our NHS has turned a corner.”

Scottish Labour, the First Minister said, will “make big promises that they do not even try to keep”, while Reform UK “cannot be trusted with our NHS”.

He added: “The SNP is the only party with a plan to deliver for our health service. That plan is working and we are determined to see it through.

“That is what people in Scotland will get from me and the SNP Government – strong, experienced leadership that is making our NHS better.”

Scottish Tory health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane said voters “will see straight through John Swinney’s shameless spin”.

“His party have decimated the NHS – waiting times have soared, GP numbers have plummeted and he has failed miserably on his pledge to end year-long waits by the end of March,” he said.

“The SNP can’t be trusted with our health service. If they get another five years in power they will obsess over independence at the expense of everything else.”

Scottish Labour deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie accused the First Minister of “cynically attempting to pull the wool over people’s eyes” over the NHS.

“Thousands of people are still waiting for hours longer than they should be in A&E departments, with the SNP having failed to meet their own 95% waiting times target for, shockingly, six years,” she said.

“And just this month, the SNP failed to meet their promise to eradicate year-long waits for inpatient and outpatient appointments, despite having promised to do so.

“Hardworking staff have also been pushed to breaking point due to SNP negligence, relying on pagers and fax machines because of the utter failure of ministers to modernise the service, never mind introducing a working NHS app.

“If analogue John had any ideas about how to fix our NHS, he would have done so by now.

“A Scottish Labour government will make cutting waiting times a day one priority, using capacity wherever it is available, and embracing new technology.”

Liberal Democrat Scottish affairs spokesperson Susan Murray MP said: “If you’ve been to an accident and emergency in Scotland in the last few years, you will know not to trust a word that comes out of John Swinney’s mouth on the NHS.

“From A&Es to cancer waiting times to the erosion of NHS dentistry, wherever you look in our health service, you will find decay.

“We’ve been waiting for a new health and care centre in Strathkelvin and Bearsden for years.

“Only the Scottish Liberal Democrats have got a realistic plan to get everyone the first-rate healthcare they need when they need it, and you can set those plans into motion by backing us on both ballot papers in May.”