Lib Dems highlight health ahead of the election

It is now only four months until the Scottish Parliamentary election on 7 May and all the parties have highlighted where they will focus their efforts.

For the Scottish Liberal Democrats they have turned to health and say that their strategy will fix the NHS workforce.

They will change the way the NHS trains and retains medical staff to end long waits for treatment.

Their strategy will:

Establish a Health and Social Care Staff Assembly, putting the experience of those who know their services best at the heart of the Scottish Government’s response to the crises they face.

Launch a rolling 10-year NHS Workforce Plan, and create an early warning system by presenting a detailed annual workforce report for debate in the Scottish Parliament, identifying staffing issues and addressing past failings.

Leader, Alex Cole-Hamilton, said: “Our NHS has so much going for it, but right now, it feels like it simply isn’t working.

“The equivalent of 1 in 6 Scots are waiting for treatment, many unable to work. Getting an appointment with a GP can take weeks and you’re lucky if you can see an NHS dentist. People are no longer confident that when they ring 999 an ambulance will turn up in time.

“Our NHS has been plagued by the SNP Government’s botched workforce planning. Staff want to deliver top quality care, but the red flags they are formally raising 99 times a week point to patients waiting in pain and services pushed to breaking point.

“Getting you the care you need, when you need it, starts with training and retaining doctors, nurses and all the other staff that make our NHS tick. It’s why we will launch a rolling 10-year NHS Workforce Plan to get on top of what our health service needs. We will trust frontline NHS staff to help with this, including through a new NHS and Social Care Staff Assembly that capitalises on their expertise.

“In many constituencies we are on the verge of winning against the SNP, but wherever you are every vote for the Scottish Liberal Democrats on the second peach ballot will deliver change with fairness at its heart.

“We have a realistic plan to get things done and deliver first-rate healthcare, so you can see your GP, dentist or mental health professional when you need them. Scotland’s NHS deserves better, and with the Scottish Liberal Democrats you can vote for it.”

Last month the party said that short staffing has been logged as a concern by NHS staff on more than 30,000 occasions since 2018. The figures were revealed after a Freedom of Information request.