John Swinney has taken direct control of his Government’s response to Scotland’s crisis-hit NHS. The First Minister is chairing weekly health service meetings and he intervened over Christmas to help combat the deadly flu virus.He also visited an accident and emergency unit in Edinburgh earlier this year to understand the “enormity” of the challenges.
Scottish Labour have said the revelations show Health Secretary Neil Gray has been "sidelined".Experts warn the NHS is at breaking point, with demand for care soaring and staffing levels at breaking point.
Over 800,000 Scots are on waiting lists and nearly 1700 people waited over twelve hours in A+E over Christmas.Gray is Swinney’s Health Secretary, but we can reveal the FM has taken a hands on approach since late last year.He is in charge of weekly meetings with NHS leaders including Gray and health service chiefs.
In an interview with the Record, the FM said: “Over the Christmas holidays, since parliament broke up, I have been convening with Neil a number of calls because obviously we have seen the data on flu and realising the significance and the impact of flu on the system.“I think we have had about six calls which involved leading figures in all aspects of the health and care system across the country. [This was] the Government and health boards, Public Health Scotland, Scottish Ambulance Service, NHS 24, Health and Social Care Partnerships.”Asked if he had taken direct control of the health service, he said: “I am working with Neil to make sure that we give everything we can to make sure the National Health Service is able to navigate its way through the challenges that we are facing.His leadership role included a visit to the NHS 24 call centre in Dundee and to a