Yousaf warns against ‘personality politics’ as calls mount for him to quit

Scotland’s Health Secretary has warned against “personality politics” as calls mount for him to stand down over historic waiting times at A&E.

Opposition parties on Tuesday have either asked for Humza Yousaf to stand down or for him to be sacked by Nicola Sturgeon after new figures showed 63.1% of patients attending A&E in Scotland in the week up to October 30 were seen and subsequently admitted or discharged in four hours.

The Scottish Government’s target is for 95% of those attending in A&E to be dealt with within four hours.

“While the opposition may want to concentrate on personalities – they can do that – my relentless focus is on the front line and those working in our NHS,” Mr Yousaf said.

“What they deserve is not a game of personality politics or using the NHS as a political football.

“What they deserve is, of course government, but every single one of us in opposition ensuring that we come forward with constructive solutions that are going to help our NHS at what is the most difficult time.”

The latest figures from Public Health Scotland showed that in the week ending October 30, of the 26,052 patients who went to A&E, the four-hour target was missed for 9,617.

There were 3,393 patients who were in A&E for eight hours or more, with 1,447 there for a minimum of 12 hours.

“The performance in the week ending October 30 is clearly not where we want it to be,” Mr Yousaf said of the figures.

“Covid continues to impact the delivery and performance of services and pandemic backlogs, Brexit driven staff shortages and inflation costs are all contributing to make this what is possibly the most challenging winter the NHS has ever faced.”

The Health Secretary went on to say delayed discharges were the main driver of A&E waiting times.

Earlier on Tuesday, Mr Yousaf had stressed the importance of people only attending A&E if their “condition was an emergency”, saying: “We all have a part to play in reducing pressure on services this winter.”

Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie was also among those calling for the Health Secretary to be sacked.

She demanded: “The SNP’s race to the bottom must be stopped before things get any worse for our A&E departments.

“For months Scottish Labour has been calling on the Scottish Government to get a handle on this crisis, and yet we are continually left with record-breaking failures and nothing but empty words and endless excuses from this hopeless Health Secretary.”

Ms Baillie continued: “As the real winter crisis approaches, staff are on their knees with exhaustion and they cannot be left to face this crisis alone.

“Patients are going to have worse health outcomes or even die as a result of not being seen quickly.

“Scots will be wondering why, as the evidence builds, the First Minister seems to turn a blind eye to Humza Yousaf’s failures.

“It is time for the First Minister to sack her failing Health Secretary and put patients’ needs first.”

Meanwhile, Scottish Conservative health spokesman, Dr Sandesh Gulhane, said: “Just when you think Humza Yousaf’s catastrophic stewardship of the NHS can’t get any worse, fresh stats come out to prove you wrong.”

Dr Gulhane branded the latest waiting times statistics for A&E as “deplorable”, adding: “Patients at A&E are terrified – and so are over-stretched and dedicated frontline staff, who know that things will only get worse as winter pressures mount.”

The Tory hit out: “Humza Yousaf needs to stop wringing his hands and start actually tackling these shameful waiting times, if we are to have any hope of averting disaster in our NHS this winter.”