SNP's Health Chief Addresses NHS Waiting Times Amid Criticism
SNP's new health chief dismisses worries over key NHS waiting times being missed
The Scotsman
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Angela Constance, the new health chief for the Scottish National Party (SNP), has downplayed concerns over missed NHS waiting times targets, emphasizing progress made. She aims to ensure no patient waits over 26 weeks for treatment by the end of the parliamentary term, despite ongoing criticism from opposition parties regarding the current state of NHS waiting lists.
- 01Angela Constance stated that the missed NHS waiting times target was a 'stretch' and emphasized the progress made in reducing long waits.
- 02The Scottish Government aims to ensure no patient waits longer than 26 weeks for treatment by the end of the current parliamentary term.
- 03New outpatient waits over 52 weeks have decreased for 11 consecutive months, with a 76% reduction in waits over a year since last summer.
- 04Scottish Labour's deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie criticized the SNP for the continuing high number of patients waiting over a year for treatment.
- 05The Scottish Conservatives' health spokesman Miles Briggs accused the SNP of mismanagement, highlighting record low A&E waiting times.
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Angela Constance, the newly appointed health chief of the Scottish National Party (SNP), has responded to concerns regarding missed NHS waiting times targets, labeling them as ambitious. During her first government debate, she highlighted the SNP's commitment to renewing and investing in Scotland's NHS. Constance pledged that no patient would wait longer than 26 weeks for an outpatient appointment by the end of the current parliamentary term. She noted that while the March target was not met, there has been consistent progress in reducing long waits, with outpatient waits over 52 weeks decreasing for 11 months and inpatient waits for 15 months. However, opposition leaders, including Scottish Labour's Dame Jackie Baillie, criticized the SNP for the ongoing high number of patients waiting over a year for treatment, with over 32,000 still in that category. The Scottish Conservatives' Miles Briggs also condemned the SNP's management of the NHS, pointing to record low A&E waiting times. Constance plans to publish a strategy to improve patient flow within her first 100 days.
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The ongoing NHS waiting times crisis affects thousands of patients in Scotland, leading to prolonged pain and uncertainty for those awaiting treatment.
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