NHS Scotland: health secretary threatened 'step up step down'
GETTY Shona Robison is under sustained pressure over a financial SCANDAL
The beleaguered minister has come under sustained pressure over a financial scandal at NHS Tayside, her local health board. A series of key waiting time targets are also being missed and boards are facing significant shortages of nurses and consultants. Dr Peter Bennie, the chairman of BMA Scotland warned last week the country's NHS is "deteriorating" thanks to a lack of staff and funding. Today she was challenged over figures showing the number of over-stretched medics retiring prematurely has doubled.
Those taking early retirement or accessing their pensions before the normal date has increased from 358 in 2010-11 to 730 in 2017-18. Scottish Labour health spokesman Anas Sarwar branded the statistics "shameful" as he called for a "credible workforce plan from a credible Health Secretary". Ms Robison revealed the third and final part of a strategy to tackle recruitment would be published next week. She had previous pledged to publish the blueprint in spring 2017. The SNP minister also highlighted "record high levels" of doctors and nurses and funding.
She added: "If the NHS and social care workforce commission that Anas Sarwar established more than a year ago has any good ideas to propose when it eventually reports, we will look forward to having constructive input to the workforce planning debate." But Mr Sarwar hit back: "When will the Cabinet Secretary get her head out of the sand and recognise that we need meaningful action now and not the same old tired excuses? It is time for the Cabinet Secretary to step up or to step down." The clashes come with Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie looking for opposition support in forcing through a Holyrood vote of no confidence in Ms Robison. Tories and Greens Greens have so far refused to join the calls for Ms Sturgeon's resignation, meaning his bid is unlikely to succeed.
Nicola Sturgeon refused to sack Ms Robison last week despite Scotland's public spending watchdog stating that warnings about NHS Tayside's financial crisis were not taken "seriously." The Health Secretary recently replaced its leadership after money from a hospital charity pot was used inappropriately. Meanwhile, a new survey revealed fewer Scots are happy with the care they get from their family doctor. More than 130,000 people were questioned as part of the Health and Care Experience Survey.