JOHN Swinney was today accused of an “absurd” bid to blame our NHS crisis on old people.
The First Minister pointed to Scotland’s rising elderly population and said hospitals were admitting patients who have become sicker due to longer waiting times caused by Covid.
First Minister John Swinney was blasted by rivals for his recent claims[/caption]
Scottish Labour health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie hit out: “Our ageing population is no secret.
“John Swinney has had just shy of 18 years to see this challenge coming.
“And while he’s right that patients waiting longer will turn up with more complex conditions, his government has been in charge of waiting times since 2007. It’s his fault.”
Ms Baillie’s blast came after the First Minister was asked why our NHS is taking longer than England to recover from the pandemic.
He replied: “People are presenting in the health service with more complexity and frailty because of the ageing population.
“And because people are waiting longer, sometimes the level of acuity is more severe.
The SNP have had years to get on the front foot with population change but sat on their hands
Alex Cole-Hamilton
“That presents a greater challenge.”
Scottish Lib Dems leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said his comments “don’t hold water”.
He added: “The SNP have had years to get on the front foot with population change but sat on their hands.
“Blaming waits on waits is absurd.”
Scottish Tory health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane weighed in: “The public are sick and tired of John Swinney’s excuses on the permanent crisis the SNP have created in Scotland’s NHS.
“The buck stops with his party.”
The Nats leader yesterday refused to set out a target to reduce waiting times — just days after he vowed to “fix” the NHS before the Holyrood election in 2026.
Asked to be specific on sorting delays affecting almost 900,000 Scots, he said: “We’re working to get them down as much as we possibly can.
“I’ve set out the commitments we have given.”
Last year an Institute for Fiscal Studies report said Scotland’s NHS was “lagging behind” England’s in its recovery from Covid-19.
