RISE IN WINTER MORTALITY, DRUG DEATHS AND SOCIAL CARE WAITING LISTS

The number of deaths registered in Scotland in 2024/25 rose compared to the previous year following the largest seasonal increase in influenza deaths in the last 15 years, Scottish Labour Health spokesperson Jackie Baillie said:  “It is a scandal that the number of Scots dying over winter is on the rise.

“Our NHS is at breaking point under the SNP and it is costing lives.

“It’s clear the shambolic failures in the SNP’s flu vaccine rollout has had catastrophic consequences.

“Scots cannot keep paying the price for SNP incompetence – but in 100 days we can save our NHS by electing a Scottish Labour government.” 

Commenting on the Rapid Action Drug Alerts and Response quarterly report showing that there were 18 drug deaths a week between September and November 2025,  Jackie Baillie, left,  said: “Years have passed since the SNP declared a drug death emergency, but far too many people are still tragically losing their lives.

“Every week lives are needlessly cut short because our NHS, our public services and our justice system aren’t working as they should.

“The SNP’s record on this is a national scandal – it’s clear they are not up to the job of fixing this crisis.

“Scottish Labour will make sure people struggling with drug addiction can get the support they need to recover and the criminals responsible for flooding communities with drugs are held accountable.” 

SOCIAL CARE WAITING LISTS 

The number of people waiting for a social care assessment rose by 28 per cent over the last year, Dumbarton MSP Jackie Baillie said: “Scotland’s social care system is at breaking point, causing misery for thousands of Scots and piling pressure on our NHS.

“The SNP bungled its National Care Service plan and has produced no ideas since.

“It’s clear the SNP has no idea how to fix this problem – but in 100 days we can choose a new direction for Scotland.”

Winter mortality in Scotland, 2024/25

• There were 22,272 deaths registered in Scotland in the four months of winter 2024/25 (December 2024 to March 2025). This is 1.3 per cent more than the previous winter.
• The number of winter deaths has fluctuated over the last ten years but has generally been increasing. This follows a decrease over the longer term.
• The seasonal increase in influenza deaths (530 additional deaths) was the largest seasonal increase recorded for this cause in at least the past 15 years.

Source: https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/publications/winter-mortality-in-scotland-202425/