Evening Telegraph (First Edition)

Labour hits out at ‘twotier health system’

SCOTTISH Labour has accused the SNP of encouragin­g a “twotier health system” in Scotland after statistics suggested a rise in the number of people opting to pay for private treatment.

The total number of private hospital admissions in Scotland last year was 21,000 – an 11% increase on the year before, according to figures published by the Private Healthcare Informatio­n Network.

Scottish Labour believes long NHS waiting lists contribute­d to the rise and highlighte­d data which suggests a third of all hip and knee arthroplas­ty operations performed last year were done privately.

Elsewhere, figures obtained by the party using freedom of informatio­n requests showed that since 2019 at least 36,818 people in Scotland have opted to leave NHS dentists and pay for private dental care.

Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour’s health spokeswoma­n, said: “The SNP can boast all they want about protecting the NHS, but in reality it has presided over the birth of a two-tier health system in Scotland where the price of poverty is pain.

“With nearly one in six Scots on an NHS waiting list, it’s no surprise that those who can afford to are handing over money to escape pain.

“But for those who can’t raid their savings, the only other option is to take on debt or live with rotting teeth or agonising joint pain.

“Everyone in society benefits when patients can be treated quickly and get back to participat­ing in their communitie­s.

SNP Westminste­r health spokesman Seamus Logan MP said: “The SNP government is investing record amounts in Scotland’s NHS, which is the best-performing in the UK and has more GPS, doctors, nurses and midwives per person than other parts of the UK.

“All roads lead back to Westminste­r, which is why it’s total hypocrisy for Jackie Baillie to slam Scotland’s health service.”