5 March 2019

More than 600 of operations had to be cancelled in January across the country as hospitals couldn’t cope, new figures confirm.

A total of 638 planned operations were cancelled for capacity or non-clinical reasons.

The news comes after statistics released last month revealed 8,311 operations were cancelled because hospitals couldn’t cope last year.

Scottish Labour’s Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health, Monica Lennon MSP, said:

“Patients are being left in pain because our NHS can’t cope after years of under resourcing by the SNP government.

“This is not the fault of the hardworking staff in the health service, this is the fault of SNP ministers who have not put our NHS first.

“Each of these cancelled operation risks leaving a patient waiting in pain and distress for the vital treatment that they need.

“Labour built the NHS and in government we will use the powers of the Scottish Parliament to resource our health service properly so patients get the care they deserve.”



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