S6M-12455: Bringing Down NHS Waiting Lists

The motion

That the Parliament is concerned that almost 825,000 patients are stuck on NHS waiting lists for tests and treatment, whilst long waits have continued to rise, despite the current First Minister promising to eradicate them; is disappointed that the statutory 12-week Treatment Time Guarantee has been broken 680,000 times since it was introduced, and 320,000 times before the COVID-19 pandemic; notes that the Scottish Government’s NHS Recovery Plan commitment to deliver 55,500 additional inpatient and day-case procedures by 2025-26 will not be met, in light of its decision to pause the National Treatment Centres programme, and calls on the Scottish Ministers to urgently tackle delayed discharge to increase capacity and publish a revised plan for bringing down waiting lists, including clarifying whether it still intends to reduce waiting lists by 100,000 patients by 2026, and to set out the source of the £300 million funding package that it announced in October 2023.

What MSPs voted on: the motion as amended

Labour’s motion was rewritten by an SNP amendment (S6M-12455.2) before this vote. A vote ‘for’ was a vote for the SNP’s wording.

That the Parliament

149 words removed by S6M-12455.2

is concerned that almost 825,000 patients are stuck on NHS waiting lists for tests and treatment, whilst long waits have continued to rise, despite the current First Minister promising to eradicate them; is disappointed that the statutory 12-week Treatment Time Guarantee has been broken 680,000 times since it was introduced, and 320,000 times before the COVID-19 pandemic; notes that the Scottish Government’s NHS Recovery Plan commitment to deliver 55,500 additional inpatient and day-case procedures by 2025-26 will not be met, in light of its decision to pause the National Treatment Centres programme, and calls on the Scottish Ministers to urgently tackle delayed discharge to increase capacity and publish a revised plan for bringing down waiting lists, including clarifying whether it still intends to reduce waiting lists by 100,000 patients by 2026, and to set out the source of the £300 million funding package that it announced in October 2023.

S6M-12455.2 SNP recognises the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on health service waiting times across the UK, and around the world; commends the dedicated NHS staff who work to provide the best care possible; believes that all long waits are regrettable and welcomes the progress in delivering a significant reduction for the longest waits; welcomes the opening of two National Treatment Centres within the last 12 months, with a further two centres opening in the coming months, which will provide capacity for an additional 20,000 procedures each year; notes that the Scottish Budget provides over £19.5 billion for health and social care, ensuring a real-terms uplift for the NHS in the face of UK Government austerity; acknowledges that, without the distinct and progressive approach to income tax in the Budget, the NHS and other public services would have £1.5 billion less funding; understands that the UK Government’s decision to cut the Scottish Government’s capital budget by £1.3 billion in real terms by 2027-28 has a direct impact on health infrastructure projects; believes that the £20 billion that the UK Government will lose as a result of its decision to cut national insurance should instead have been invested in NHS services and in infrastructure investment, and understands that the share of Barnett consequential funding that Scotland has lost as a result is around £1.6 billion, and believes that, in order to recover from the combined impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Brexit and UK Government economic mismanagement, reform and innovation across the health service is required.

Final wording as read into the Official Report at Decision Time. The marked changes are worked out by this site from the amendment texts and match that wording.

Amendments

S6M-12455.2 SNP Neil Gray Agreed vote, 63–51
S6M-12455.1 Conservative Sandesh Gulhane Fell per the Official Report

Signatures by party

2 MSPs besides the lodger · 0 from other parties

Lab 2

Party on the day each MSP signed. Signing a motion is voluntary and not whipped. Who signs whose motions

Vote

1 division

13 Mar 2024
Bringing Down NHS Waiting Lists
S6M-12455as amended by SNP
Carried
63 for, 51 against

Amendments

2

S6M-12455.1

Bringing Down NHS Waiting Lists
Sandesh Gulhane Con Lodged 12 Mar 2024

No recorded vote
S6M-12455.2

Bringing Down NHS Waiting Lists
Neil Gray SNP Lodged 12 Mar 2024

Carried
63 for, 51 against

Supporters

2 MSPs

Lab 2

Show all 2 supporters by party

Lab 2

Party shown is each supporter’s party when the motion was published.

In the Official Report

4 contributions mention S6M-12455

13 Mar 2024

National Health Service Waiting Lists
Liam McArthur LD Meeting of the Parliament

The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-12455, in the name of Jackie Baillie, on bringing down national health service waiting lists. 14:56
13 Mar 2024

Decision Time
Alison Johnstone Meeting of the Parliament

There are nine questions to be put as a result of today’s business. I remind members that, if the amendment in the name of Neil Gray is agreed to, the amendment in the name of Sandesh Gulhane will fall. The first question is, that amendmen…
13 Mar 2024

Decision Time
Alison Johnstone Meeting of the Parliament

The amendment in the name of Sandesh Gulhane falls. The next question is, that motion S6M-12455, in the name of Jackie Baillie, on bringing down NHS waiting lists, as amended, be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No.
13 Mar 2024

Decision Time
Alison Johnstone Meeting of the Parliament

The result of the division on motion S6M-12455, in the name of Jackie Baillie, on bringing down NHS waiting lists, as amended, is: For 63, Against 51, Abstentions 0. Motion, as amended, agreed to, That the Parliament recognises the impact …