SNP Finance Chief Promises Fife Patients NHS Waits Will Improve
SNP Finance Secretary Shona Robison assures Fife patients of reduced NHS wait times with a budget boost aimed at improving services.
Fife, Scotland, NHS, Shona Robison, Waiting Times, Health Services
Kirkcaldy: SNP Finance Secretary Shona Robison visited the national treatment centre. She believes surgery wait times in Fife will improve soon. This hope comes with a significant NHS budget increase.
The government plans to raise the health service budget to £21.7 billion. However, a think-tank warns that past funding hasn’t always led to better services.
Robison insists the NHS will improve with this budget boost. She mentioned a plan to deliver 150,000 more appointments and procedures next year.
Units like the one in Kirkcaldy will help with 10,000 of those additional procedures. Some patients, however, are still waiting too long for treatment.
When asked about NHS failures, Robison acknowledged that some patients wait too long. She praised NHS staff for their hard work and positive patient experiences.
NHS Fife has struggled with long surgery wait times, with some patients waiting over two years. The government aims to end waits over one year by March 2026.
Despite this, NHS Fife only met the 12-week treatment standard in 47% of cases last year. Robison emphasized the need for clear delivery of resources.
Local MP Melanie Ward criticized Robison for not apologizing to patients. She highlighted the severe A&E waiting times and the struggles of patients in pain.