Gordon Lindhurst, Scottish Conservative and Unionist MSP for Lothian, yesterday called First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to account after news emerged at the weekend that NHS Lothian paid out £1,528 in the last two years for one agency nurse shift.
Speaking during First Minister’s Questions in the Scottish Parliament, Gordon said that constituents in Lothian would have been shocked to have heard the figure spent on one shift through a private agency. He pointed to the First Minister’s record as Health Minister when she presided over cuts to student nurse places. As a result, the shortage in staff is now leading to NHS health boards having to find cover, leading to NHS Lothian having to fork out £4.8 million on agency nurses last year. This compares to the £1.2 million spent in 2011/12.
In response the First Minister attempted to divert attention away from the record of NHS Scotland, pointing instead to the performance south of the border.
Speaking after the session in Parliament, Gordon said:
“This is an important issue. As I said in the chamber people in Lothian and indeed across the rest of Scotland do not want to hear that that their taxes are being used on such excessive fees. This isn’t fair to them or to our NHS staff.
As a result of the First Minister’s actions in a previous role, the NHS in Scotland faces a staffing crisis. Modest increases in the level of staffing are not enough, as the Royal College of Nursing has already said. These quick fixes are unacceptable and unsustainable.
Without a better approach to forward planning in the NHS, waste of money better spent elsewhere will continue.”
https://www.gordonlindhurst.com/news/lothian-msp-asks-first-minister-ta…