Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has today branded the SNP a disaster for local health care as new figures revealed significant falls in how people rate the quality of care they have received.
The Health and Care Experience Survey 2021/22 published today revealed that:
- 67% rated the care provided by their GP practice positively, down from 90% in 2009/10
- The percentage of people rating their care services as either excellent or good has fallen from 83% to 62% since 2013/14.
- Just 44% reported positive experiences arranging to see a mental health professional.
Mr Cole-Hamilton, pictured right by Alan Simpson, said: “15 years of SNP misrule has been a disaster for local health care. Staff on the frontline were sounding the alarm for years but ministers chose to put their fingers in their ears.
“For those who can get an appointment, standards of care across our NHS remain high thanks to the hard work of staff but even getting to see a GP or a mental health worker can feel like a lottery.
“Over the coming months Scottish Liberal Democrats will push for a rapid recruitment programme to put new staff into local services, including new mental health staff in every surgery and through a far better deal for social care staff.
“Patients and staff deserve better than more years of SNP failure.”
ENDS