Responding to Scottish Labour Leader Anas Sarwar raising his late constituent Anne Sinclair’s case at First Minister’s Questions this week, Foysol Choudhury MSP said: “I am grateful to Anas Sarwar for raising the case of Anne Sinclair with the First Minister.
“I raised the case with the First Minister in February and was told that the seven months of delays she had faced in her cancer diagnosis were ‘not at all acceptable’. I agreed with that assessment.
“Unfortunately Anne passed away this summer. Throughout her journey with cancer she was determined that I raise her story in the Parliament, find answers for the delays she faced, and fight so that nobody else was left in the same position. Her sons, who were in the gallery of the Scottish Parliament for FMQs today, have kindly given me permission to continue that fight on their mother’s behalf.
“Anne’s case starkly demonstrates the real people behind the numbers we hear every week in the Scottish Parliament. There are faces behind all the waiting lists, the people waiting in ambulances, and the people who cannot get the care they need. These are not just statistics, they are human beings who deserve dignity in their healthcare.
“Unfortunately Anne was let down, and her sons deserve answers and an apology for the delays in their mother’s diagnosis.
“I want to thank my office staff for pursuing what has often been an emotional case. We all want to see that Anne’s family can be assured that lessons are learned and nobody else will be left in the same position.”
The family of Anne Sinclair, 64 from Edinburgh, said: “We are happy that Foysol Choudhury MSP and Scottish Labour have continued to raise our late mother’s case at the Scottish Parliament.
“We do not wish for any other families to go through what our mum and our family have gone through. Our mum was a fighter and she would want her questions about her late diagnosis to be answered.”