JOHN Swinney hit out at Jackie Baillie for “hypocrisy” at FMQs after she accused the Scottish Government of "fiddling" with NHS waiting time statistics.
The Scottish Labour deputy leader was questioning the First Minister after the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) claimed that more than 800 deaths in Scotland last year are believed to be linked to long A&E waits.
Baillie first accused the Scottish Government of “fiddling with waiting list statistics”.
She then asked: “The First Minister has been in government for the past 18 years. When will he get serious and wake up to the reality facing patients and hardworking staff, and when will we see the end of an eight-hour and 12-hour wait in Scotland?”
Swinney then hit back, accusing Baillie of “hypocrisy”
NEW: John Swinney slams Jackie Baillie after she accused the Scottish Government of "fiddling" with NHS waiting time statistics - accusing her of "hypocrisy". 🗣️ "What she didn't rail against was the Welsh Labour government doing exactly the same thing" pic.twitter.com/Q5S3wjGoHL
— The National (@ScotNational) September 25, 2025
“Presiding Officer, as I indicated, we've just seen in the 12-hour data for July 2025 the lowest level of 12-hour waits since 2023 in the aftermath of the pandemic,” he told MSPs.
“So, that is just one illustration of the focus of the government on addressing these particular issues.”
Swinney then added: “Now, Jackie Baillie has railed against me for the technical changes that have been made by Public Health Scotland on an independent basis, outside of government, to make sure the statistics are accurate.
"What Jackie Baillie didn't rail against was the Welsh Labour government doing exactly the same thing when they were looking at this issue. That just tells us what we long knew – that Jackie Baillie comes to this parliament, postures on the health service and is full of hypocrisy about the stance that she takes.”
