Question reference: S6W-00849
- Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 17 June 2021
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Current status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Humza Yousaf on 18 June 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the NHS will continue on the emergency footing that the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport previously extended to 30 June 2021.
Answer
I want to thank our health and care staff for their magnificent work to date. The last few months have been enormously challenging, with the expansion of our vaccination programme and the on-going demands of continuing to provide vital services to those requiring care.
While we have made great strides forward in dealing with the challenges that the pandemic has brought, the spread and impact of Covid continues to urge the need for caution in protecting the capacity of the NHS. Case numbers have continued to increase slowly over the last few weeks and our vaccination and Test and Trace resources have had to flex in response to emerging issues. All of this is taking place while our NHS continues to recover and so I want to continue with a measured and consistent approach to remobilising and renewing the vital services that we all rely upon. Additionally, we continue to be mindful of the impact on health and care staff, many of whom have been on the frontline of the Covid response for a considerable period.
It is clear that we need to continue to balance the capacity of the NHS to deal with Covid as well as the demands of emergency, urgent and planned care. With this in mind, I have decided that the NHS will remain on an emergency footing until at least 30 September 2021.