Brian Whittle MSP has attacked the SNP for allowing the number of beds available in hospitals across Scotland to drop by over 1000 in the last decade.
Across Scotland, the average number of available acute beds available dropped by 335 over the last year. The number of beds has now fallen by 954 since 2015/16 and by over 1350 since 2011/12.
In Ayrshire & Arran, there are now an average of 19 fewer beds than last year and an average of 60 fewer than there were five years ago. Going back to 2011/12, that figure rises to 71 fewer.
South Scotland MSP Brian says the SNP’s failure to protect bed numbers in hospitals has had serious implications during the pandemic, adding to the pressure on NHS Ayrshire & Arran and other health boards who found themselves urgently needing more beds.
The Scottish Conservative MSP has also criticised Nicola Sturgeon, accusing her of dodging questions about the number of extra beds that Scotland’s hospitals needed and what had been provided.
Brian Whittle MSP said: “Under the SNP, NHS Ayrshire & Arran have lost more than 70 hospital beds and it’s staff and patients in NHS Ayrshire & Arran who have paid the price.
The pandemic has exposed how the SNP have allowed bed numbers to drop, making health boards more vulnerable to the kind of spike in need for hospital spaces that we’ve seen over the last 18 months.
Nicola Sturgeon seems completely unable or unwilling to answer simple questions about how many beds are needed and how many the Scottish Government have delivered.
The SNP Government are only reacting now, as the situation reaches breaking point, rather than properly planning when they should have. With this winter likely to be extremely challenging for NHS boards across Scotland, this sluggish and stumbling response just won’t cut it.”
