Jackie Baillie has demanded clear tests of whether Scotland’s NHS winter preparations are improving care for patients and conditions for staff.
The Dumbarton MSP questioned Health and Care Secretary Angela Constance following her winter-planning statement to the Scottish Parliament on 8 October.
Baillie asked whether success would mean fewer delayed discharges, progress towards the four-hour emergency-care standard, shorter ambulance turnaround times or an end to corridor care.
She welcomed a planned public-awareness campaign but argued that repeated annual statements needed to produce visible improvements in services.
Constance’s statement outlined an improving-flow plan and a refreshed framework for anticipating surges in demand, involving health boards, councils and care partners.
The campaign is scheduled to begin later in October and direct people towards appropriate services. Baillie’s intervention places the focus on measurable outcomes alongside those preparations.
