Health Secretary Humza Yousaf is right to apologise for the growing crisis in the NHS. He is not the first post holder to experience difficulties, but the scale of the challenge he faces is without precedent.
A shocking three-quarters of a million people are waiting for treatment, outpatient appointments or diagnostic tests. Accident and emergency departments are simply not coping and social care is in crisis.
Staff also feel demoralised, underpaid and unwilling to accept a pay cut. Energy bills have been the big story over the past few months but the heartbreaking state of the NHS is taking centre stage.
There is no doubt the pandemic has caused havoc with our most cherished public service. Services were suspended and a massive backlog in operations and treatments created.
But staff will tell you many problems preceded Covid and were allowed to fester. While an apology is welcome, it is also disheartening to learn that the crisis will take years to fix. Patients are realistic enough to know delays are unacceptable and there is no silver bullet of reform.
But the waits they are experiencing are appalling and a clear plan of action must be implemented. The Scottish Government’s budget presents an opportunity to prioritise funding for the NHS and ensure the health service is not overwhelmed.
Ministers should not flinch from taking the difficult decisions on tax that will be needed to boost the money available for public services it. NHS survival may depend on it.
Reform the Lords
More than 130,000 people have signed a petition calling for Michelle Mone to be booted out of the House of Lords. The campaign to remove the baroness from the upper chamber follows claims she benefited to the tune of £29million from a PPE contract signed during the pandemic.
The money was said to come from profits of more than £200million made by a company she recommended to the Conservative Government. Mone denies she has done anything wrong despite the anger directed at her following newspaper claims. But there is a bigger issue here.
The Glasgow-born bra tycoon and Tory peer is able to vote on all legislation going through Parliament. Her credentials as a lawmaker are flimsy, which sadly seems to be enough for this outdated and tainted part of our government.
Calls to remove Mone may be justified but the biggest problem is the House of Lords itself. It should be reformed, at the very least. It is not fit for purpose.
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