Patients paying for SNP failure

SCOTS patients are being forced to borrow money or remortgage their homes to pay for private treatment due to NHS waiting lists, an MP has warned.

- CHRIS MCCALL

Elaine Stewart has said almost one in six people are waiting for some form of treatment and many could not "bear the pain" any longer.

The Labour MP for Ayr and Carrick spoke out as official figures found 1642 people in Scotland waited more than 12 hours to be seen at an A&E ward in the week ending December 29.

Speaking in the Commons, she said: "Almost one in six Scots are stuck on an NHS waiting list.

People are borrowing money and remortgaging homes to go private as they can't bear the pain." Stewart went on to claim the SNP government had "abandoned the principles of NHS care at the point of entry".