John Swinney should be “throwing the kitchen sink” at issues in Scotland’s A&E departments rather than focusing on independence, the Scottish Tories have said.
Figures released by Public Health Scotland on Tuesday show 67.5% of attendances at emergency departments in March were seen within the four-hour target time – up from 66.4% the previous month, but still well short of the 95% goal set by ministers.
Elsewhere, 7,564 people waited more than 12 hours in A&E in March, down from 6,307 the previous month.
John Swinney should be throwing the kitchen sink at this worsening crisis, but the only thing he wants to talk about is his plans for another divisive independence referendum
Some 17,349 people also waited longer than eight hours, up from 16,698 the previous month.
Figures were also released for the most recent week in A&E, showing performance in the seven days up to April 26.
Two thirds of patients – 66.6% – were seen within four hours, up from 64.6% the previous week, while 1,099 people waited more than 12 hours, down from 1,429.
According to the figures, 2,959 people waited longer than eight hours, also a reduction from 3,301 the previous week.
Responding to the figures, Scottish Tory health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane said A&E performance should be a “source of shame for incompetent SNP ministers”.
“On John Swinney’s watch, tens of thousands of desperate patients are waiting hours for urgent medical treatment – with last month’s figures reaching the worst level since winter in 2024,” he said.
“John Swinney should be throwing the kitchen sink at this worsening crisis, but the only thing he wants to talk about is his plans for another divisive independence referendum. That’s a shameful dereliction of duty.
“Patients and frontline staff deserve better than an SNP government that only cares about causing constitution grievances while our NHS is in permanent crisis mode.”
Voters can stop the SNP’s “independence obsession” at Thursday’s election, Dr Gulhane added.
Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said the SNP had “failed miserably” to ensure the NHS recovered from Covid-19, adding: “After years of missed targets and empty promises, no-one believes a word John Swinney and the SNP have to say on our NHS.
“Instead of taking responsibility for his government’s appalling record, all we ever get from John Swinney is complacency and spin.
“We cannot keep telling Scottish patients to accept the unacceptable and asking hardworking NHS staff to do the impossible.
“It’s clear John Swinney and the SNP cannot be trusted with our NHS.
“On Thursday we can vote to save our NHS by electing a Scottish Labour government led by Anas Sarwar.”
SNP candidate and junior health minister Maree Todd said: “Under John Swinney’s trusted and experienced leadership, the SNP has a plan for Scotland’s health service and it is working.
“Long waiting times are down for ten months in a row, operation numbers up and we are opening GP walk-in centres all over the country.
“Meanwhile, the Westminster parties have nothing to offer, with Anas Sarwar even plotting to slash £1 billion from NHS budgets.
“John Swinney is determined to see through our plan and a re-elected SNP government will work tirelessly to drive further improvements in Scotland’s NHS.”
Scottish Lib Dems leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “The SNP have been in power for 19 years and the impact of this mismanagement of our NHS is clear to see.
“Our hospitals can’t admit or discharge people on time and there are still fewer operations taking place than in pre-Covid times.
“This Government has had ample opportunity to improve things, and its failure to do so is unacceptable. If anything, things have gotten worse on the SNP’s watch.
“The Scottish Liberal Democrats will end the SNP’s era of mismanagement for good with a comprehensive plan to save our health and care services.”