Part of First Minister’s Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at on 10 October 2024.
That behaviour tells us everything that we need to know about Scottish National Party members’ priorities.
The Royal College of Emergency Medicine has said that it is like
“the winter crisis ... but every day”
and that the Government is
“continuing to disregard”
the urgent need to keep patients moving through the system.
Three key factors exacerbate the crisis: the number of beds and resources that are lost due to delayed discharge, patients not being treated due to long waits and a lack of capacity that leaves accident and emergency departments overwhelmed. We need meaningful action.
As I speak today, an estimated 1,500 people are stuck in hospital because of a lack of care packages. Can the First Minister guarantee that social care packages will be in place for all those who are needlessly stuck in hospital, so that they can get home for Christmas?