Scotland’s hospitals, schools and courts are running well below pre-pandemic standards even though public spending per person is now 26 percent higher than before Covid struck, a major new study reveals today.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies warns that without fresh money many services face real-terms cuts in the next parliament, making recovery even harder.
Hospitals Busier Staff, Fewer Patients Seen
Hospital staffing in Scotland has jumped 14 percent since 2019, yet the number of inpatient admissions and outpatient appointments remains lower than before the pandemic.
In England and Wales, both figures have bounced back above 2019 levels.
Scotland treated fewer patients last year than in 2019 despite having thousands more doctors and nurses.
A&E waiting times are shorter than in England but the four-hour target is still missed for most patients. The Scottish government has pumped extra billions into health, yet day-to-day activity has not returned to normal.
Schools Slip Further Behind
Education shows an even bleaker picture.
Scotland’s 15-year-olds have fallen steadily in international Pisa rankings for reading, maths and science and now score lower than pupils in England in every subject, a gap that has existed for more than ten years.
School absence rates have also worsened faster north of the border since the pandemic. The gap between rich and poor pupils remains stubbornly wide.
Teachers in Abergele and elsewhere are preparing to strike over bullying and intimidation claims, while the EIS teaching union has issued formal notice of industrial action.
Courts Buck the Trend
There is one bright spot.
Criminal court backlogs are falling in Scotland while they keep rising in England and Wales. Summary cases are now being cleared faster than before Covid.
But the overall picture remains grim.
Cash Squeeze Coming
IFS researcher David Phillips warned that UK government funding increases are slowing sharply.
The Scottish government has fallen into the habit of using one-off cash for permanent costs such as pay rises. Without tax rises or fresh Westminster help, many services will face budget cuts after the next Holyrood election.
“Sustaining current performance, never mind improving it, will be a real challenge,” Phillips said.
First Minister John Swinney has pledged to protect health spending and tackle domestic abuse, but the IFS says tough choices are unavoidable.
Scotland receives the highest public spending per head in the UK, yet patients are waiting longer for routine operations, pupils are getting worse results and victims of crime still face long delays in many courts.
Five years after the pandemic, the country that prided itself on world-class public services has not got them back.
What do you think? Are staff shortages, bad management or simply not enough money to blame? Drop your view in the comments and use #ScotlandServices if you’re talking about it on social media.
