JEANE Freeman has hit back over a claim that NHS Louisa Jordan "hasn't been used to treat any Covid-19 patients".
The Scottish Health Secretary responded to an article in the Daily Record in which Scottish Labour health spokeswoman Monica Lennon said "serious questions need to be answered about whether the public is getting value for money".
Freeman said the hospital has treated more than 12,000 patients.
She tweeted: "The answer to a ‘serious question’.... @NHSLouisaJordan has seen over 12,000 patients in orthopaedics, dermatology, diagnostic imaging, breast clinics and more & provided a COVID-19 safe space to train over 4500 health care staff & students, ensuring our workforce.
The answer to a ‘serious question’....@NHSLouisaJordan has seen over 12,000 patients in orthopaedics, dermatology, diagnostic imaging, breast clinics and more & provided a COVID-19 safe space to train over 4500 health care staff & students, ensuring our workforce. https://t.co/tmRfY9hKgP
— Jeane Freeman (@JeaneF1MSP) December 14, 2020
NHS Louisa Jordan was set up as a temporary hospital at Glasgow’s SEC campus in the height of the pandemic.
Lennon spoke out as a Sunday Mail investigation revealed that the Scottish Government spent £6 million on laundry services and security guards.
She added: “Handing a £2.4million contract to a private company for laundry services will strike many as rank hypocrisy when you consider the SNP’s valid criticism of the Tories over creeping privatisation within the NHS.
“It’s yet another example of the Scottish Government’s failure to meet the challenges of the pandemic or live up to its own rhetoric. We’ve one of the worst Covid-19 death rates in the world and our economy has contracted more than many of our European partners.”
Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said: “The whole point of the NHS Louisa Jordan is to support and provide additional capacity to NHS Scotland, not be a financial burden because of outsourced contracts.
“These bills show how private interests provide bad value for money in Scotland’s health service. If the Scottish Government is going to protect our public NHS it needs to reduce the amount it outsources to profiteers.”
But the Scottish Government said the hospital is delivering “significantly expanded" services including out-patient consultations, training and coronavirus vaccinations.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “The NHS Louisa Jordan is playing a vital role in the remobilisation of our NHS.
“Since July, the hospital has seen over 12,000 patients who had their treatment delayed due to the pandemic and trained over 4500 NHS staff and students.
“That level of activity will incur costs. Due to the temporary nature of the hospital it has been necessary to pay for security.”
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