SNP Has Broken Treatment Time Guarantee Law 680,000 Times

7th March 2024

Following FMQs, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said: "It is written in law that all patients should be treated within twelve weeks.

“The SNP have broken this law over 680,000 times.

“Humza Yousaf might try and blame the pandemic, but this law was broken over 320,000 times before covid.

“Shona Robison broke the law 158,000 times.

“Michael Matheson broke the law 184,000 times.

“And Humza Yousaf broke the law 235,000 times.

“And since he published his so-called NHS recovery plan, the SNP have broken the law 306,735 times.

“Every one of these breaches is someone waiting anxiously for a medical procedure, often in pain.

“Many have put their lives on hold, stopped work or retired because of their condition.

“Too many of them forced to go private in the middle of a cost of living crisis, just to stop the pain.

“Across nearly every measure this Government has failed.

“They have broken the treatment time guarantee law 680,000 times.

“Humza Yousaf wants to pretend things are getting better, but let's look at the NHS stats published just this week:

“A third of patients not being seen within four hours in our A&Es; and over eight and a half thousand people waited more than 12 hours in one month.

“55,000 fewer planned operations in the past year, compared to before the pandemic.

“Five and half thousand children waiting to receive mental health treatment.

“And only 1 in 5 people getting crucial bowel cancer tests on time - shocking, when cancer remains Scotland’s biggest killer.

“The First Minister must realise his government’s incompetence is destroying the NHS and failing staff and patients."