Scottish Conservative and Unionist MSP for Central Scotland, Graham Simpson, says NHS Lanarkshire remains short of beds under the SNP.
Across Scotland, the average number of acute beds available in hospitals plummeted by 335 over the last year. The number of beds has now fallen by 954 since 2015/16 and by over 1350 since 2011/12.
In Lanarkshire, there is now on average 32 more beds than in 2019/2020. However, there is an average of 70 fewer beds than there was five years ago.
On top of that, there is also on average 29 fewer beds in Lanarkshire than in 2011/12.
Mr Simpson says the pandemic has exposed how the SNP have been slow to act to ensure hospitals in NHS Lanarkshire had the beds they needed.
He has also said that Nicola Sturgeon has been continuing to dodge questions on the number of extra beds that Scotland’s hospitals need and had been delivered.
Commenting, Scottish Conservative and Unionist MSP, Graham Simpson said: “Under the SNP Lanarkshire is short of beds.
“Staff are paying the price of their cuts in recent years to frontline acute beds in Lanarkshire.
“The pandemic has completely exposed how the SNP have been slow to act in recent years to ensure NHS Lanarkshire have the beds they need.
“Nicola Sturgeon is continuing to dodge questions on how many beds are needed and how many have actually been delivered.
“The SNP Government are only reacting right now when the situation has hit breaking point. This simply isn’t going to cut it, when hospitals in Lanarkshire are set to experience an extremely difficult winter in the coming months.”
