By Bill Heaney
A damning report by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has warned of the catastrophic consequences of the Government’s failure in looking after Scotland’s children, Labour leader Anas Sarwar told the Holyrood parliament today.
In paediatrics alone, more than 10,000 children are waiting for the medical care that they need, and 50 per cent of them have been waiting for more than the legal 12 weeks.
Anas Sarwar asked the First Minister: “How does the First Minister respond to the comments of one of the leading paediatric consultants in the country, Dr Mairi Stark, who said that “if you miss the right window to treat a child or wait too long the consequences can be irreversible” and that there has been “a clear failure to prioritise the health and wellbeing of our children”?
The First Minister replied: “First and foremost, I take the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health’s report extremely seriously. We are examining that report in detail.
Labour leader Anas Sarwar and First Minister Humza Yousaf, who denied having let 10,000 Scottish children on paediatric waiting lists down.
“As ever, it is important to provide some context for why such high numbers of children are waiting. The undeniable reason for the significant increase in the number who are waiting is undoubtedly the global pandemic. That is why we have seen significant increases in paediatric waits across the United Kingdom—in England, in Wales and, of course, here in Scotland.
“Anas Sarwar and the royal college are right to raise concerns about the issue, so I will give some examples to provide assurance that we are focusing on tackling the far-too-long waits in paediatrics.
“There are two main paediatric specialties: paediatrics and paediatric surgery. From April 2023 to the end of the calendar year, December 2023, the new paediatric out-patient list reduced by 21 per cent. Waits of more than 52 weeks reduced by 12 per cent and waits of more than 78 weeks reduced by 31 per cent, while those of more than two years were completely eradicated.
“Over the two years from December 2021 to December 2023, the new out-patient list for paediatric surgery reduced by 35 per cent. Waits of more than 52 weeks reduced by 84 per cent and those of more than 78 weeks reduced by 95 per cent.
“I reiterate those statistics—and we know that behind them is a young child who has been waiting too long for surgery—to show that there have been improvements and that we are moving in the right direction.
“What makes the recovery of the NHS far more difficult is the fact that we are receiving budget cuts from the Conservatives of £500 million over two years and of £1.3 billion in capital funding. Of course, we are investing in our NHS despite those cuts.
“It would be helpful to know from Anas Sarwar whether, if there is an incoming Labour Government, it would immediately reverse those Conservative cuts, because they impede our ability to invest in NHS recovery which, of course, is much needed for our children, young people and adults.”
Anas Sarwar pressed on: “The First Minister knows that the problem predates the pandemic and that the report makes clear that there has been 11 years of decline—every day of which there has been a Scottish National Party Government. He also knows that Labour will invest more in the national health service and that we want to bring down waiting lists, but he has to take responsibility for his Government’s actions, not look to blame someone else all the time.
“The crisis in children’s health goes even further than the report warns. Across our NHS, whether in child and adolescent mental health services or other specialties, children face unacceptable waits that have left them distressed and in pain.
“One mum, Amy, has told me about the struggles that her three-year-old son, Cody, has faced. Cody has been repeatedly diagnosed with tonsillitis and his enlarged tonsils obstruct more than 75 per cent of his airway, which makes it difficult for him to eat, drink and even breathe.
“She has told me that she has to lie awake next to him during the night, because his breathing stops and she has to nudge him in order to restart his breathing again.
“She has had to fight to get Cody referred to a specialist but has been told that an urgent referral for treatment will take three years. Amy has had to make the difficult decision to go private, borrowing almost £5,000 from her family. Why are the First Minister and his Government failing Amy, Cody and so many families like theirs?”
Humza Yousaf hit back: “I am more than happy to look at Cody’s case and, indeed, any other case that Anas Sarwar raises. We are happy to explore what more can be done with the health board. It sounds as though it is a horrifically long wait and we do not want any parent to have to endure that. The point that I make to Anas Sarwar is that progress is being made and I have given him a range of details about progress in paediatric surgery, which is relevant to his question.
“We are also ensuring that we are investing in the workforce. We have increased the number of paediatric specialty consultants by 15 per cent in the past five years and by 64 per cent in the past 10 years.
“The number of qualified paediatric nurses has increased by 11 per cent in the past five years and, since 2014, we have invested in the recruitment of an additional 500 health visitors and 200 extra school nurses, which will undoubtedly help with the health and wellbeing of children and young people.
“I do not take lightly the issues that Anas Sarwar has raised about the long waits that parents and children are having to suffer. However, in his initial response, he did not answer the question that I asked, which was whether a potential incoming Labour Government would immediately reverse the £1.3 billion cut that is impacting our healthcare provision.”
The tension in the chamber was palpable at this point.
And the First Minister asked: “If Mr Sarwar could give that confirmation, we might be able to plan further ahead for the investment that we would be able to make. It is only through record investment in the NHS that we will be able to recover the services that our NHS provides for children and young people.”
However, Anas Sarwar was not walking away. He said: “Honestly, Presiding Officer—after 17 years of this Scottish National Party Government, asking questions of a party that is in opposition, rather than talking about his own record of failing children across the country, just shows how out of depth the First Minister is. All those lists and all those excuses mean nothing to Amy or Cody and they mean nothing to the thousands of families that his Government is failing everyday.
“The First Minister simply does not get it. In every area of responsibility for this SNP Government, children are being failed, with catastrophic consequences.
“After 17 years of this SNP Government, 240,000 children are living in poverty; more than 10,000 children are waiting for paediatric medical care; and more than 9,500 children were turned away from mental health services last year.”
Deputy First Minister Shona Robison, pictured left, was shouting across the chamber at this point and gave the appearance of having lost the plot.
Mr Sarwar told her: “I suggest that the Deputy First Minister listen to the consequences for her constituents, rather than heckling what is happening to children across this country.
“For those children who were referred, more than 5,500 are waiting to get mental health support. Nearly a third of pupils in Scotland are now persistently absent from school; in some areas, the rate is as high as 50 per cent.
Almost 40 per cent of pupils now need additional support—at the same time, this SNP Government has cut 400 additional support needs posts in the past decade.
“Is it not clear that Humza Yousaf and every single member of this SNP Government are failing Scotland’s children?”
“No, I do not agree with that, the First Minister replied. “I thought that I asked a pretty reasonable question, which Anas Sarwar is obviously unable to answer. He may want to be honest with people about the answer.
“He was unable to answer a very simple question: if there is an incoming Labour Government, will it immediately reverse the Tory cut to Scotland’s budget? The fact that he was unable to answer the question demonstrates either that he does not know the answer or that he is not being honest with the people of Scotland.
“It is fundamentally important, in all the areas of public service, that we invest. That is why the Government took the decision to prioritise our public services. That is why we gave an increase to the national health service and made sure that there was an increase to education services and an increase to social security.
“All those issues are incredibly important for our children and young people. That is why estimates show that 100,000 children in Scotland will be lifted out of poverty because of our actions. That is why more young people in this country are going to university from areas of higher deprivation because of our investment. That is why we have a record number of young people who are going on to positive destinations because of our investment in education, early learning and childcare …”
The Presiding Officer was red faced and obviously flustered as she tried time and again to get the First Minister to wind up. Eventually she had to cut him off.
Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow and top of page picture of Cody who was referred to a specialist but has been told that will take three years.