Richard Leonard The website of Richard Leonard MSP, Leader of the Scottish Labour Party
27 September 2019
Commenting on the Health Secretary’s admission that full paediatric services at St John’s Hospital in Livingston will not be resumed in October as promised, Scottish Labour’s health spokesperson Monica Lennon said:
“Jeane Freeman said the reopening of full services at the hospital in October was an ‘absolute commitment’ but that has amounted to another broken promise.
“This failure to act has understandably left local families feeling let down, anxious and angry.
“The situation at St John’s is another symptom of the SNP’s mismanagement of the NHS in Scotland - a chronic staff shortage.
“With a public inquiry into hospital scandals hanging over her, the Health Secretary should be producing a deliverable plan to ensure there is enough staff to look after sick children, but after 12 years in government it is clear the SNP is not capable of running the NHS.
“Sneaking this out on a Friday when Parliament isn’t sitting is cowardly and the least Jeane Freeman can do is make a statement in Parliament next week so that MSPs can ask questions on behalf of the public.”
Commenting on the Health Secretary’s admission that full paediatric services at St John’s Hospital in Livingston will not be resumed in October as promised, Scottish Labour’s health spokesperson Monica Lennon said:
“Jeane Freeman said the reopening of full services at the hospital in October was an ‘absolute commitment’ but that has amounted to another broken promise.
“This failure to act has understandably left local families feeling let down, anxious and angry.
“The situation at St John’s is another symptom of the SNP’s mismanagement of the NHS in Scotland - a chronic staff shortage.
“With a public inquiry into hospital scandals hanging over her, the Health Secretary should be producing a deliverable plan to ensure there is enough staff to look after sick children, but after 12 years in government it is clear the SNP is not capable of running the NHS.
“Sneaking this out on a Friday when Parliament isn’t sitting is cowardly and the least Jeane Freeman can do is make a statement in Parliament next week so that MSPs can ask questions on behalf of the public.”