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Anger over lost Highland hospital beds





Government challenged on beds record
Government challenged on beds record

The Scottish Lib Dems have challenged the SNP Government over its 'poor record' on Scotland’s NHS as figures reveal health boards have lost over 1,000 beds in just two years.

The drop in bed numbers, they insist, comes despite discharges from acute specialties and A&E units being at their highest in a decade.

Health campaigners and professionals have ramped up their warnings over the state of Scotland’s hospitals. Many face chronic shortages of staff and capacity issues.

NHS Highland has the sixth worst record in Scotland with a loss of 54 beds.

Cllr Stephen, Prospective Scottish Parliamentary Candidate for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, said: “The SNP in the Scottish Government have time and again let people down across the Highlands and Islands.

"These figures have shown that NHS Highland has one of the worst records in Scotland. That is simply not good enough.

“The NHS exists to safeguard people all across the United Kingdom. However, in the Highlands the SNP Scottish Government are neglecting their duty to protect the lives of our must vulnerable people.

“These figures are a telling sign that the Scottish Government must end the scandal of NHS Highland's £35million under funding. The UK Government has provided £125million to help, when will the Scottish Government see fit to act?"

Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Jim Hume MSP said: “The SNP in the Scottish Government spent so long campaigning for independence that they took their eye off the ball.

"These figures show in black and white that as a result, over 1,000 beds have been lost from Scotland’s hospitals in the space of just two years.

“It’s little wonder that more patients are being treated in the wrong department, waiting times aren’t being met and patients are being kept in hospital despite being clinically ready to leave.

"Health campaigners and professionals including the BMA and RCN Scotland have long complained about the severe capacity and staffing issues facing our NHS.

“We were promised that integrating health and social care would take pressure off of hospitals.

"But the jumbled approach of cutting beds without proper community care in place has resulted in patients bearing the brunt of SNP mismanagement.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats will be keeping up the pressure on the SNP to give our NHS the support is so badly needs.”


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