18.01.1996

Health experts dismiss government lies

THE last week in Scotland has seen a widespread bed crisis with hundreds of operations cancelled.

The government has tried to blame the crisis on freak conditions of staff sickness and cold weather. However, health experts have dismissed the ‘hand of fate’ scenario and targeted blame where it truly lies. They have attacked government policies that have led to a huge reduction in hospital capacity at a time of rising demand, the lack of central planning, which is a product of the NHS internal market, and widespread poverty and inadequate housing which has left the old and poor vulnerable to the cold and damp.

The government’s own statistics make appalling reading. Since 1989 NHS beds throughout Scotland have fallen by 11,727 to 44,240, staff has decreased by 12,398, while an extra 77,574 patients a year are now treated.