Sorry Mr Health Secretary - the NHS in Scotland is clearly in crisis

Asked as part of that interview whether there was a crisis facing the NHS, Mr Gray answered simply: “No.”

However, the minister appears to have misread the room. The timing of his comments should raise some eyebrows, with another difficult winter and the seasonal pressure on Scotland’s hospitals that come with it just around the corner.

Let’s look at the facts.

More than 860,000 people are on an NHS waiting list for a procedure or test – a record number. Of that, more than 1,300 patients have been waiting three years or more for hospital treatment, either as an in-patient or on a day care basis.

Figures published earlier this month showed average waits for dental, oral or orthodontic surgery on the NHS had increased across almost all of Scotland’s health boards between 2019 and 2023.

And anecdotally, The Scotsman has repeatedly been told of patients battling to get an appointment to see their GP and of people turning to DIY treatment for dental problems.

The damning 142-page report by former health minister Lord Darzi published last week may have only been commissioned on NHS England, but the harsh reminders contained within were equally applicable north of the Border.

As Dr Zubir Ahmed, one of Scotland’s new Labour MPs, told this newspaper: “As someone who has worked in the NHS in England and Scotland, much of what Lord Darzi says resonates with me on both sides of the border.”

Under John Swinney’s leadership, Scottish ministers have spoken repeatedly about being honest and transparent on the state of the country’s finances and more.

As such, there is nothing to be gained from being anything but honest about the sorry state of our NHS. It is in crisis and creative thinking is required to fix it.