Highlands and Islands regional MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston, has expressed alarm at NHS Grampian’s performance as official figures revealed that it is the worst performing health board in Scotland for waiting times.
The figures were produced by the Scottish Government’s Information Services Division for the quarter ending 30 June 2019.
The Scottish Conservative MSP, whose region includes Moray which is within NHS Grampian’s area, said: “It is very disappointing indeed that nearly 30 per cent of patients in the NHS Grampian area are not referred within the 18 weeks guideline period. Of the 14 health boards in Scotland this is the worst performance.
“The SNP Scottish Government pledged that 90 per cent of people’s journey through the health system would last no longer than 18 weeks from referral for care. And yet, here in Grampian region, they have underperformed by nearly 20 per cent which is by any account, a very significant failure.
“I know that the NHS staff across the region work enormously hard for their patients, but NHS Grampian is the worst-funded health board in Scotland, and we are now seeing the consequences of that unfair treatment.
“It’s about time that Nicola Sturgeon’s government started giving the North East of Scotland a fair deal rather than treating us as a cash cow to be milked at will, but to receive very little in return.”
