Biography
Mr Douglas Alexander raised concerns about public health and NHS waiting lists in Scotland during two debate speeches on 14 January 2026 on the Cost of Living. He criticised the Scottish Government's record on drug deaths, citing over 6,800 deaths since a public health emergency was declared, which he described as Europe's worst drug-related death rate. He also highlighted the scale of NHS waiting challenges in Scotland, noting hundreds of thousands of people on waiting lists, and argued the Scottish Government's budget represented a missed opportunity to address these issues.
Generated from their own Hansard record, below
“…and, but the reality is that its shameful record in Scotland is more than 6,800 drug deaths since it declared a public health emergency. That, let us be clear, is the worst drug-related death rate in Europe. It is a shameful failure by the Scottish Government.”
Record by topic
- Public health & prevention417th of 6883.0
- NHS waiting lists323rd of 5343.0
What they’ve said
“…Scottish Government? The reality after 19 SNP budgets is that hundreds of thousands of us are stuck on NHS waiting lists in Scotland; over 10,000 children are waking up in temporary accommodation, with no permanent home; and councils are unable to afford even the basics.”
Cost of Living · 2026-01-14 · Read on Hansard ↗
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