Scottish Conservative and Unionist MSP Jeremy Balfour for Lothian is urging SNP Health Secretary Humza Yousaf to ensure the number of cancelled operations in NHS Lothian does not spiral out of control.
Jeremy Balfour’s call comes after the number of operations that were carried out in NHS Lothian plummeted by 9% between August and September this year.
Jeremy Balfour says with the peak winter period on the horizon, patients in Lothian must be given guarantees by Humza Yousaf that they won’t be waiting a moment longer to have vital procedures and treatment.
Jeremy Balfour added that Humza Yousaf’s flimsy NHS Recovery Plan and his belated winter plan have failed to mobilise frontline services in NHS Lothian and patients are paying the price.
Scottish Conservative and Unionist MSP Jeremy Balfour said: “This dramatic drop in planned operations in NHS Lothian is deeply concerning.
“Humza Yousaf should be alarmed at the fall in the number of operations carried out in one month, compared to the previous one. This cannot be the start of a trend otherwise more and more patients face unacceptable delays in NHS Lothian.
“The lack of leadership from Humza Yousaf has failed to fully resource frontline services and it is patients who are seeing their operations cancelled as a result, sometimes on the day they are scheduled.
“If he doesn’t get a grip now, this situation will only get worse during the peak winter period.
“There needs to be an urgent plan to ensure patients have operations carried out as quickly as possible in Lothian.”
