A nurse suffering from burnout; Health Secretary Humza Yousaf, Lib Dem health spokesperson Alex Cole Hamilton and Tory spokesperson Dr Sandesh Gulhane.
By Lucy Ashton
The Scottish public will be dismayed and deeply worried to hear that NHS nurses feel they have no option but to go on strike, according to Scottish Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health, Dr Sandesh Gulhane.
Dr Gulhane said: ““People across the UK are struggling with the global cost-of-living crisis, but it’s clear that nurses in Scotland feel disrespected and ignored by Humza Yousaf – not surprising after the Health Secretary shockingly dismissed a nurse who challenged him last month as ‘patronising’.
“Years of failed SNP workforce planning have piled the pressure on our heroic nursing staff and, with more than 6,000 nursing vacancies in Scotland right now, they are understandably at breaking point.
“With our NHS already on the brink of collapse and winter looming, I am deeply concerned for the health and welfare of patients over these strike days. It’s clear that lives could be on the line as a result of this action and the fault lies squarely at the feet of Humza Yousaf and the SNP.
“If the Health Secretary can’t get a grip of this situation, then Nicola Sturgeon must urgently intervene and ensure our nurses get the support they deserve in time to avert these dangerous strikes.”
There are 6,010 nursing vacancies in NHS Scotland. This is a 24% increase from 4,845 in the same period last year. (NHS Scotland Workforce, 6 September 2022, link).
Meanwhile, responding to the confirmation from the Royal College of Nursing that members will go on strike, Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “For far too long, the SNP has played fast and loose with our NHS. They have allowed record waiting times to become the norm. They have allowed staff to be overworked, overwhelmed and undervalued.
“It is absolutely unforgivable that the Scottish Government have now allowed the situation to escalate to strike action.
“Scottish Liberal Democrats have called for a burnout prevention strategy and a staff assembly to calm the sharper edges of the crisis. These have been voted down or ignored by a pig-headed SNP/Green coalition which would rather turn a blind eye.
“These strikes will be hugely disruptive for patients, but nurses can only be pushed so far. Rather than distract themselves with a billion-pound bureaucratic takeover of social care, the government must overhaul pay and conditions to put an end to this sorry mess.”
And following new statistics showing only 63.1% of patients were seen within 4 hours in A&E departments, a new low, Alex Cole-Hamilton criticised the SNP-Green government’s lack of focus on the NHS crisis.
Only 42.7% patients were seen in 4 hours in NHS Forth Valley, only 49.1% in NHS Lanarkshire and only 60.2% in NHS Fife.
The Royal College of Emergency Medicine has estimated that long waits have contributed to hundreds of avoidable deaths in 2022.
Cole-Hamilton said: “Another week, another record low recorded in our A&E departments. More people waiting in A&E departments means more avoidable deaths, it really is as simple as that.
“The danger this presents for patients and staff alike shows an unforgivable lack of focus on the part of our SNP/Green government.
“The Health Secretary must drop his opposition to an urgent inquiry into the avoidable deaths linked to the crisis in emergency care.
“He must also adopt the solutions the Scottish Lib Dems have been proposing for months on end: a Burnout Prevention Strategy to protect staff and a Health and Social Care Staff Assembly to put their expertise at the heart of the response to this crisis.”
Meanwhile, responding to the confirmation from the Royal College of Nursing that members will go on strike, Cole-Hamilton added: “For far too long, the SNP has played fast and loose with our NHS. They have allowed record waiting times to become the norm. They have allowed staff to be overworked, overwhelmed and undervalued.
“It is absolutely unforgivable that the Scottish Government have now allowed the situation to escalate to strike action.
“Scottish Liberal Democrats have called for a burnout prevention strategy and a staff assembly to calm the sharper edges of the crisis. These have been voted down or ignored by a pig-headed SNP/Green coalition which would rather turn a blind eye.
“These strikes will be hugely disruptive for patients, but nurses can only be pushed so far. Rather than distract themselves with a billion-pound bureaucratic takeover of social care, the government must overhaul pay and conditions to put an end to this sorry mess.”
All the petty political sniping of the circus.
So let’s get to the point. The UK and that includes Scotland under funds the NHS.
There is also a shortage of doctors and nurses which shortage was exacerbated by Brexit causing many medical professionals to leave.
But hey, ya boo cat-calling by Cole Hamilton or whoever give them the opportunity to mask the reality.
And you know what underfunded health care, social care and living standards are going to get worse, much worse.
Britain is bust and it has a war to fight.