Dumfriesshire MSP Elaine Murray has hit out at figures showing approximately 180 surgeries in NHS Dumfries and Galloway were unable to go ahead due to a lack of capacity or resources.
And the figures, from IDS Scotland, follow the 2015 NHS staff survey published earlier this month which showed that only a third of NHS staff thought they had the resources and staff to do their jobs properly.
Dumfriesshire MSP Dr Murray said the revelations were further signs of the Scottish Government’s ‘sticking plaster’ approach to the health service, and called on ministers to use 2016 to set out a vision to manage the NHS for the long term, not from crisis to crisis.
Dr Murray said: “These figures are absolutely shocking, and result from our local NHS not getting the support it needs from the Scottish Government in Edinburgh.
“Earlier this month only a third of NHS staff believed they had the resources and staff to do their jobs properly.
“180 cancelled operations per year due to a lack of capacity show the reality of those concerns.”
She also called on investment in social care to take the pressure off hospitals, allowing more people to get the care they need in their homes.
Dr Murray added: “It’s time we moved away from short term crisis management in our NHS and the sticking plaster approach used by this Scottish Government.
“We need to invest in our NHS for the long term, building a health service fit for the challenges of the 2040s, not the 1940s.”
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