Private procedures in central belt draining health spend across the region

1st September 2016

Highlands and Islands Labour MSP David Stewart has criticised the £50million spent last year across Scotland on private operations through the NHS.

Mr Stewart points out Glasgow & Clyde sent 22,772 patients at the cost of £24,616,905 for private ops, while Grampian sent 1491 with a bill of £7,886,000. In comparison NHS Highland sent 15 patients at a cost of £49,322 and the Western Isles 28 costing £212,356.18.

He said the huge amounts being spent in the central belt were draining the health spend nationally and must have a knock-on effect on the amount of money available for health services in the Highlands and Islands.
The figures were released to Scottish Labour under Freedom of Information requests.

Earlier this week Labour revealed the SNP were missing 13 out of 19 of their NHS targets and that spending on private nursing agency staff had hit almost £60 million in the last five years. In NHS Highland more than £1million has been spent on private agency nurses in 2014/15.

"The spend proves that the NHS is struggling to keep up with demand under the SNP Government," said Mr Stewart.
"What has to be remembered is that in the Highlands and Islands patients have to travel long distances to be treated privately rather than being seen by their own local NHS team.

"Many patients are only too willing to take up the offer of private operations due to their pain and suffering and who can blame them?

“However, money going to private operations should be invested in front-line care, doctors, nurses and hospitals. Spending more taxpayer cash on private health services is an indication of the problems experienced by our NHS.
“It is clear they don't have the capacity or the resources to deliver the care patients across Scotland need. This is unfair on patients and also to our dedicated NHS workforce who are under-valued, under-resourced and over-worked."
He added Labour would use the new tax powers of the Scottish Parliament to invest in our public services instead.