Falling satisfaction with health services in Fife

The latest figures from the Scottish Household Survey make for worrying reading. Over the past decade, satisfaction with local health services in Fife has dropped from 80% to just 54% – a fall of 26%. Across Scotland, satisfaction has also fallen sharply, from 83% in 2015 to 61% in 2024.

As the MP for North East Fife, I hear every week from constituents who are struggling to access the healthcare they need. Whether it’s difficulty getting a GP appointment, delays in seeing a dentist, or long waits for mental health support, it’s clear that our local NHS is under immense pressure, and people are paying the price.

For the past eighteen years, the SNP has been responsible for running Scotland’s health service, and these figures show that their record simply isn’t good enough. Staff are working tirelessly, but they’re being let down by poor planning and a lack of long-term investment from the Scottish Government.

Recently, I’ve spoken out about the potential downgrading of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Ninewells, which would have devastating consequences for families across Fife and Tayside. I’ve also raised concerns in Parliament about the experiences of patients struggling to access maternity care, ME support, and other essential health services. These issues are connected and they all reflect a system stretched beyond breaking point.

People in North East Fife deserve better. They deserve a health service that works for them, not against them. That’s why the Liberal Democrats have set out a realistic plan to rebuild local healthcare, ensuring everyone can get the care they need, when they need it - from GPs to dentists to mental health professionals.

The decline in satisfaction isn’t just a statistic. It represents thousands of people waiting in pain, families facing uncertainty, and healthcare workers trying to do the impossible with too few resources.

We need urgent action and a renewed focus on patients, not politics. Fife deserves nothing less.