SEND IN THE TROOPS
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NICOLA Sturgeon has called in the military in a desperate bid to get a grip of the ambulance crisis.
The First Minister took the drastic step to try to ease the pressure on the struggling emergency service.
It came as she apologised “unreservedly” for the long waits endured by patients.
THE Armed Forces are being called in to help tackle Scotland’s worsening ambulance service crisis.
Nicola Sturgeon made the shock announcement yesterday as she apologised “unreservedly” to patients for the long delays and pledged extra cash to resolve the issue.
The SNP leader acted after the Daily Record highlighted patients waiting hours for paramedics to reach them – then forced into further logjams as ambulances wait outside hard-pressed A&E departments.
Sturgeon faced tough questions at Holyrood from opposition politicians who said problems of low morale and understaffing among ambulance crews were being reported before the pandemic began last year.
MSPs raised two examples of how Scots are suffering as a result of the growing ambulances waiting times.
The Record reported yesterday how Lilian Briggs, 86, was forced to wait eight hours for an ambulance after falling and suffering a double hip fracture.
The First Minister was also asked about the case of Gerard Brown, 65, of Glasgow, who died after a 40-hour wait for an ambulance.
His relatives were told the delay had cost the former engineer his life.
Labour leader Anas Sarwar asked the First Minister: “How many more Lilian Briggs need to happen in the next week before you take urgent action? How many Gerard Browns need to happen?”
An apologetic Sturgeon told MSPs: “Our ambulance service is working under acute pressure right now, largely due to Covid.”
She went on: “I apologise unreservedly to anyone who has suffered or who is suffering unacceptably long waits.” As well as approving additional
funding to support recruitment she said other actions were “under active consideration”.
Sturgeon went on: “I can confirm this includes consideration of seeking targeted military assistance to help deal with short-term pressure points.
“Such assistance is already being provided to ambulance services in England.
“Of course, we have had military assistance for other aspects of the pandemic in the last 18 months.”
Pressed by Sarwar on when the military would be deployed, Sturgeon replied: “We are actively considering the detail of a request for targeted military assistance. It is important we make that request in detail so we know exactly what it is we are requesting from the military, and that is being prepared right now.”
Scottish Labour’s leader pointed to serious problems that existed within the ambulance service long before the pandemic.
Sarwar said: “She doesn’t
understand the scale of the crisis in Scotland’s health service.
“To hear she is considering maybe acting at some point to intervene just isn’t good enough. This isn’t about the pandemic. There were problems before it.
“This is an avoidable human tragedy on a heart-breaking scale.
“Pandemic or no pandemic, there’s a simple truth – no one should be left to die on the floor while waiting 40 hours for an ambulance. Our NHS staff, paramedics, and call handlers are being failed too.”
He added: “Things are so bad that the British Red Cross has been drafted in to deliver humanitarian aid at Glasgow’s flagship hospital.”
Tory leader Douglas Ross backed calling in the Army and called for a major incident to be declared.
He said: “Systemic failures are leaving ambulance crews to turn up and pronounce people dead, instead of having a chance of saving a life. For two weeks in a row, Nicola Sturgeon has been in denial that our NHS is in crisis.”
The Ministry of Defence confirmed it had spoken to SNP ministers. A spokesperson said: “The MoD has received a request from the Scottish Government under the Military Aid to Civilian Authority process.
“We are working hard to identify where we can most effectively assist other government departments and civil authorities.”