Wishart highlights island and rural healthcare challenges
Scottish Liberal Democrat and Shetland MSP, Beatrice Wishart highlighted the challenges for island and rural primary healthcare in a Scottish Liberal Democrat opposition day debate. Raising issues from unfilled posts of health professionals, as well as recruitment and retention, to travel costs for treatment.
Scottish Liberal Democrats brought two opposition debates to the Chamber on Wednesday (21st February), highlighting issues in NHS dentistry across Scotland as well as accessing primary care such as GPs.
Parliamentary convention allows for opposition parties to raise debates on dedicated dates across the Parliamentary business year.
Ms Wishart said:
“Recruitment and retention of NHS staff from primary care through all parts of the health service has been an issue for years.
“Post pandemic, staff are feeling overworked and undervalued and we are seeing GP numbers reduce.
“Cuts to nursing and midwifery university places in 2011 by the then SNP Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon are now coming home to roost.
“Overall NHS Shetland were advertising for fourteen posts to fill ranging from GPs to support services.
“Every community, every individual is entitled to healthcare and where that cover is missing it is of greater and disproportionate impact on small communities who have already done everything to extend, supplement and retain existing provision.
“Like urban areas, island and rural areas face significant challenges to healthcare provision.
“Challenges like ageing populations, depopulation and geography.
“And in turn the reasons behind depopulation and ageing populations are keeping health care posts from being filled.
“Where will the new GP or nurse live when there’s a shortage of housing to rent or buy?
“What attracts a healthcare professional to an island community when ferries don’t run and are unreliable in providing lifeline services?
“The Scottish Government need to look again at how best we ensure patients are not financially burdened while undergoing treatment.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
You can watch Ms Wishart’s full speech here.