Many of the problems facing Scotland’s health and social care systems pre-date covid, and the Scottish Government has major questions to answer.

On December second NHS Dumfries and Galloway appealed to patient families to “facilitate speedy discharge” due to the enormous pressures facing the health and social care system. However whilst it is abundantly clear that NHS Dumfries & Galloway is tackling greatest health pressures in living memory, the issues surrounding resource funding predate covid.

According to the Dumfries & Galloway annual audit report 2018/19, the NHS was facing issues surrounding resource funding which was necessitating a program of “efficiency savings”.