The news that only 26% of nurses feel that their department is sufficiently staffed comes as no surprise to me (report 12.12.15). Last week I attended Edinburgh Royal Infirmary to undergo surgery and many of the staff there spoke openly about the stresses they were facing.
The nurse who took me to theatre did so in her lunch break. Another told me of how the closure of the Forth Road Bridge meant that, on top of a 12 and a half hour shift, she faced 3 or 4 hours of driving each day. I saw a doctor offer to take casework off an overloaded ECG specialist. All this was in the space of a few hours.
On discharge I was asked to make an appointment with my GP practice within 72 hours. On calling, I found that no appointment was available for two weeks and that I had to rely on good will to be seen.
This act of good will typified my experience. Every member of NHS staff I met during my 24 hours in the ERI was absolutely dedicated to their job and willing to go the extra mile to help patients and colleagues.
It is a real shame that we don’t have a government in Scotland that values the NHS in the same way. In recent months they have asserted that their council tax freeze has been “fully funded” to the tune of around £500m per year, whilst the IFS and Audit Scotland have stated clearly that the NHS is being underfunded by over £300m. Government is about priorities, and the SNP appear to think that a policy which benefits the richest most is more important than giving our NHS the resources it needs.
People who think the SNP can do no wrong should take the time to speak to one of the 160,000 people who work for the NHS in Scotland. Maybe then we can start the work of giving the NHS is resources it deserves.
Dr Scott Arthur 
So who will protect the NHS? Westminster??? You know, the people currently intent on privatising it? And don’t say that doesn’t affect Scotland, because you know full well it does.
No health system is perfect. But ours is better than many. Canada’s for example (as someone who spent time there).
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Paul,
health is devolved. Spending on the NHS is increasing in England, but the SNP are not passing on the Barnett consequentials.
Are you happy with that?
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Scott, The SNP government spends more on health per head than any other of the UK’s nations. The biggest long term problem with the NHS in Scotland will be paying off the debts Labour lumbered us with after it adopted the Tories’ disastrous PFI/PPP.
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Yes. We spend more on the NHS in Scotland but the service is worse.
As for PFI, why is the SNP using this to build new hospitals?
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Per capita spending on the NHS in Scotland is higher than that in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. If you want the SNP to spend more what services do you wish to see cut?
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It is a hard fact that the SNP is not passing on all the Barnett money the NHS is due. Nonetheless, NHS funding in Scotland has always been higher. The question is, why is performance no better than rUK under the SNP?
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Your nhs experiences differ from mine over the past few years. I ruptured a quadracep tendon in 2013 and it was operated on in emergency surgery within a week. After op care was superb. Since then I’ve been treated for cardiac issues and again diagnosis and treatment has been prompt and thorough. My discussions with staff has also been interesting ” thank God we don’t work in an NHS trust hospital in England ” being the main theme. Maybe Scott just hears what he wants to hear.
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Thanks for that anecdote. Read the staff survey and then tell the nurses they are wrong.
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