Waiting times in Accident and Emergency facilities across NHS Grampian hit an eight month low this week, with only 88.2% of patients being seen within the 4 hour deadline. The cash strapped local health board has not reached the 95% target in any week since 22^nd July 2018.

In a session of question and answers in the Scottish Parliament today, North East Liberal Democrat MSP Mike Rumbles grilled the Scottish Government’s Health Secretary about a decade of underfunding that has left the local health board with some of the worst waiting times in Scotland.

In response to a Parliamentary Question lodged by Liberal Democrat MSP Mike Rumbles, the minister responsible for delivering Scottish Government’s R100 programme has dropped the 2021 target for the project. Admitting that it would be ‘challenging’ to meet their previous commitment and incorrectly claiming that the timetable always had a ‘degree of flexibility’.  

The Liberal Democrats have pledged to cancel Brexit if they come to power at the next general election after members voted for the new policy at their party conference in Bournemouth by an overwhelming majority.

Facing questions from North East MSP Mike Rumbles in the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee this morning, The Scottish Government’s Transport Secretary admitted that the US Military, not RyanAir, provides Prestwick Airport’s single largest income stream. It is expected that the news will be a major concern for potential buyers for the business.

In a statement to the Scottish Parliament this afternoon, the Rural Economy Cabinet Secretary ignored calls from Scotland’s crofting community and ignored clear recommendations set out in a cross-party report by the Rural, Economy and Connectivity Committee, to bring an end to piecemeal crofting legislation and produce a comprehensive crofting bill during this session of Parliament.

Commenting on ScotRail boss Alex Hynes’ appearance before the Rural Affairs and Connectivity committee, at which he confirmed that the rail firm did not expect to meet the franchise performance target of 92.5% until the end of 2021, Scottish Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Mike Rumbles MSP said:

“There is no point in a performance target if ScotRail intend to miss it for almost the entire duration of the franchise.

Figures published by NHS Scotland’s Information Service Division today, show that only 51.2% of children waiting for mental health treatment under NHS Grampian in the quarter to the end of June 2019 were seen within the deadline.

Teacher shortages are costing the four North East councils approximately £10 million per year, according to a freedom of information request obtained by North East Liberal Democrat MSP Mike Rumbles.

NHS Grampian and NHS Tayside are each losing over 1 million hours of staff time to illness each year, according to a freedom of information request obtained by North East Liberal Democrat MSP Mike Rumbles.