Scottish Government leaving NHS Fife to do more with less

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This week I have called for Scottish Government action after latest figures show that accident and emergency waiting times have hit a record number since the SNP came to power.

The Scottish Government’s failure to address the underlying problems in our NHS is resulting in the people of Fife having to pay the price when it comes to accident and emergency waiting times.

According to latest figures nationally the number of patients seen within the four hour waiting time target fell to 90.3 per cent in December 2012. This is the lowest ever recorded since the target was introduced in December 2007 and follows a downward trend in compliance with the A&E waiting time target every month since July of last year.

It is the job of the SNP Government to ensure that winter planning measures are in place for any potential increase in patients due to winter illnesses but this has clearly failed as December’s results are at their worst for 5 years. This is not an isolated incident as there has been an ongoing downward trend since July that the Government is failing to halt.

Locally, NHS Fife had the third highest number of patients, across Scotland, waiting over 12 hours in December 2012. Throughout the final month of last year 65 patients had to wait over 12 hours in accident and emergency, an average of over two per day. Only NHS Lothian, with 78 patients, and NHS Lanarkshire, with 117 patients, posted worse results.

Week after week we hear personal stories of patients experiencing the pressures placed on NHS Fife. The SNP are asking NHS staff to do more with less and we cannot continue down this path without expecting consequences for patients.

NHS Fife failing to meet their accident and emergency waiting time target follows on from missing their cancer waiting time target, a fall in the number of hospital bed available and a rise in hospital complaints.

We need urgent action from the Scottish Government to address failings of their own making and I will be writing to the Health Secretary to raise my concerns regarding NHS Fife.