Douglas Ross says nationalist MSPs should be 'ignored' during FMQs

The Scottish Tory leader questioned the First Minister about reports that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde had sought to pause non-urgent elective procedures as it prioritises urgent treatment and cancer care.

He said staff had told him they were struggling to run a "first world service" in what felt like a "third world environment". 

There were also reports nurses were being made to work 24-hour shifts as the health service comes under unprecedented pressure, but Nicola Sturgeon told the chamber there was “absolutely no truth to these claims” and expected the pausing of non-urgent care to be “for a very short period”.

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The First Minister defended the Health Secretary Humza Yousaf, explaining he was not responsible for all the problems in the NHS and highlighted that action being taken in Glasgow was also being taken in many health board areas of England such as South London and Nottingham.

But following her response and after MSPs clapped her defence of Yousaf, Ross said: “How can nationalist MSPs actually clap such a despicable answer from Scotland’s First Minister in Scotland’s Parliament about Scotland’s NHS?

“So let’s ignore the nationalist MSPs, let’s look at what medical professionals are saying. They are damning about this government’s response to this crisis here in Scotland.”

Ross went on to accuse the First Minister of blaming patients, quoting statements she made about unnecessary visits to A&E and hospitals, and claimed the blame lies with the Scottish Government for the crisis.

Nicola Sturgeon stood up for Health Secretary Humza Yousaf during a grilling about the NHS (Image: PA)

He denied there was an issue with unnecessary attendance and said fewer people attended A&E in the first week of this year than in 2020 and 2019.

The FM said she was not blaming patients and put Ross in his place about figures he was reeling off.

She said: "Unnecessary attendances are not in the interest of patients. 

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"Let's look in detail at demand. There is absolutely no doubt that demand on our health service right now is higher than it has been for some time. If you look at calls to NHS 24 over the festive period - the highest demand in a decade. If you look at emergency calls to the Scottish Ambulance Service - higher in the recent week than the average of the four weeks before. 

"The reasons they are not all translating into attendances at A&E or admissions to hospital is because of the work NHS 24 and the ambulance service are doing to avoid that."

Sturgeon also took the opportunity to point out blue light staff have not been on strike in Scotland this week due to pay deals being negotiated.

"In the UK this week we've seen health professionals on strike. They've not been on strike in Scotland because of the work [we have done]."

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Ross said that bed blocking is a long-standing issue in the NHS - dating before the pandemic - and said this was contributing to 60 avoidable deaths a week. 

Sturgeon did not comment on the figure specifically, which apparently came from the British Medical Association.

Labour leader Anas Sarwar also used his questions to grill the FM about the NHS crisis but it wasn't long before Sturgeon was accusing him of "not dealing in reality".

Sarwar said doctors had told him the NHS crisis was not down to Covid or an increase in flu cases and claimed it had been "10 years in the making".

He said: "NHS staff told us the system is failing and they are being asked to do the impossible. They were united in telling us the cause of this crisis is not Covid, not flu, not striking and not record pressure. They say this crisis has been 10 years in the making by the First Minister does not agree. So why does she think frontline NHS staff are wrong?"

Sturgeon replied: "There were pre-existing challenges in our health service before Covid and we are taking action to address those.

"There are 30,000 more people working in the health service today than when this government took office.

"We will continue to work with frontline healthcare professionals to meet these challenges. The one thing I do take issue with Anas Sarwar saying is somehow it is not the case that Covid and flu have not had an impact. There are right now more than 1200 patients with Covid in our hospitals. Anyone who says that's not having an impact right now is frankly not dealing in reality.

"Over the Christmas period, there were 1000 patients a week with flu admitted to our hospitals. Anyone who says that's not a significant factor in what we're dealing with right now is not dealing in reality and that is a comment directed at Anas Sarwar not at healthcare professionals."