Brian Whittle MSP has called on the SNP to guarantee NHS Ayrshire & Arran will be able to carry out vital operations wherever possible.
The South Scotland MSP’s call comes after new figures showed that, in the last six months between April and September, only 3115 operations took place in Ayrshire & Arran.
That compares to an average of 10,688 that took place between 2016 and 2019. That means that compared to a normal year, over 7500 operations weren’t carried out in recent months.
While acknowledging that everything possible must be done to tackle rising Covid cases, Brian says the SNP must not forget about patients who are lying waiting for vital operations.
Brian wants the SNP to give staff in NHS Ayrshire & Arran the resources they need to deliver as many operations as possible safely and give patients clarity about how long they might have to wait.
Commenting, Brian Whittle MSP said:
“There’s no question that Covid is still a top priority for the NHS, but at the same time, an endlessly growing backlog of non-Covid operations isn’t sustainable. The SNP have to work with health boards and give them the resources needed to resume operations and support patients whose surgery is delayed.
“These figures show the scale of the backlog that’s built up over the last few months. Without urgent action and support, those waiting lists may never be cleared.
“The SNP must ensure that NHS Ayrshire & Arran have the resources they need to safely carry out as many non-Covid procedures as possible.
“As winter approaches, we need to take action now or risk the situation becoming much worse in the months to come.”
