LIKE all of us, my family relies on our local NHS.

 

My first job was in the NHS.

Everyone has a story of how important the NHS has been to them, stepping in to help at moments of crisis and joy.

The staff who are working in all roles are doing incredible work to support us when we most need it.

But we know that the reality of recent years is that our doctors and nurses are being put under more and more pressure.

The SNP Government in Edinburgh has cut hospital beds while underspending its budget by £440 million.

That's money that should be spent on supporting public services like our NHS.

Instead the staff at our hospitals have to do more, with less.

I visited the Royal's A&E department last week, and spoke to senior consultants there.

They told us how under pressure services really are.

The Government in Edinburgh keep telling us everything is fine, but I'll always listen first to what the professionals who are on the frontline of this crisis have to say.

At Glasgow Royal Infirmary we have seen routine operations cancelled and patients having to wait hours to be seen in A&E.

one in six people visiting the Royal's A&E have had to wait more than four hours.

At the Western Infirmary almost 1500 people visiting A&E have had to wait more than four hours.

In the Victoria, over 150 people had to wait longer than eight hours.

In May, the SNP Government plan to close A&E departments at the Western and the Victoria.

That will only put more pressure on other A&E departments right across the city.

All of us in Glasgow rely on these services.

I am increasingly angry at the stories I hear from my constituents who have had to wait hours for treatment. Accessing health services that are running on empty is becoming more and more difficult.

I know that Glasgow deserves better.

Our hospitals are being stretched to breaking point but with your help we can protect our NHS.

Labour's plan is to use a UK Mansion Tax to fund 1,000 extra nurses to improve care.

And we would immediately create a frontline fund worth £100 million to help our pressured services.

We love our NHS.

Those that work in our hospitals need our support.

Those who depend on the services they provide deserve better.

By asking those with the broadest shoulders that can afford it to pay more, we can help to relieve the pressure on our nurses and doctors.

I will only accept the best healthcare possible for Glasgow, and I will not accept people trying to short change hard working NHS staff trying to deliver care in increasingly difficult conditions.