Perthshire North MSP, Mr John Swinney, and Perth and North Perthshire SNP candidate, Mr Pete Wishart, have reacted to today’s news that NHS Tayside is anticipating a shortage in medicine and supplies as a possible consequence of Brexit.
Planning documents released under Freedom of Information legislation have confirmed that stockpiles of medicine will only last for six weeks before the region could experience a shortage of supplies.
Commenting, Mr Swinney said:
“These latest revelations are yet more evidence of the damage Brexit will do to our health service.
“Whilst the long-term threat to our NHS is a Tory/Trump trade deal that will carve up and sell off our most cherished public institution, it beggars belief that we may face shortages of medicine and supplies in the short term.
“Whilst the Tories’ toxic Brexit obsession threatens to endanger the health and wellbeing of those across the region, the SNP will always stand up for our NHS and will never treat it with the cavalier disregard displayed by the Conservatives.”
Mr Wishart added:
“The news of NHS Tayside’s potential medicine shortfall brings sharply into focus the stakes in this General Election.
“I have been steadfast in my commitment to supporting the NHS and its heroic staff. I will never support Brexit for a whole host of reasons, but the untold damage it would do to our health service and to my prospective constituents is chief amongst them.
“Boris Johnson’s Tory candidate must now answer for the chaos that his leader seeks to inflict upon the Perth and North Perthshire constituency. To date, the Tory candidate has cravenly avoided talking about Brexit – indeed, his election leaflets makes no mention of the biggest issue facing Scotland.
“It is beyond time that he shows some backbone and stands up for those he seeks to represent. I am therefore challenging him to confirm that, if elected, he will not vote for any Brexit deal that would put pressure on our NHS”
Mr Wishart’s challenge comes on the same day that Jackson Carlaw, the interim Scottish Conservative leader, repeatedly refused to rule out leaving the EU without a deal at the end of the transition period during an interview with BBC Good Morning Scotland.
