Brave decisions required if NHS is to be saved, doctors warn politicians

Scotland’s NHS needs “serious long-term and radical reform”, doctors have said as they urged politicians not to use the health service as a “way to win votes”.

Dr Iain Kennedy, chairman of the British Medical Association in Scotland, said 2026 could be a “watershed” year for the NHS, but only with the “political will and brave decisions from everyone involved”.

The state of the NHS has once again been a key issue in the Holyrood election campaign, with Dr Kennedy saying “lengthy waiting times and waiting lists”, difficulties in getting GP appointments, and the “growing number of people being forced to turn to private healthcare” are often in the headlines.

He said: “BMA Scotland has consistently warned that without action, the founding principle of the NHS, that it should be free at the point of use, is at risk.

“We are clear that the NHS must not just be seen as a way to win the votes of the public in the short-term.

“Too often, solutions offered to the problems the health service faces do no more than tinker at the edges or seek to grab attention rather than deliver real results.

“What is needed is for politicians to put political difference aside and urgently agree and deliver serious long-term and radical reform that finally makes our NHS sustainable, and indeed world leading, for generations to come.”

While he said that approach “might not grab headlines”, it will “deliver real and lasting change”.

In its manifesto for the election, the BMA is urging politicians to come up with a clear, detailed plan on how to shift the balance of care closer to patients’ homes, while at the same time providing better support to Scotland’s GPs.

It also says there needs to be a “refreshed and renewed focus” on how performance is measured in the health service “which ultimately puts patient outcomes at its heart”.

A long-term workforce plan that takes into account levels of demand is also key amongst doctors’ asks.

Politicians are being urged to make health impact assessments mandatory when new legislation is brought in, while also ending the “deep-rooted scandal” of health inequalities as a priority.

The BMA said “Scotland’s NHS must be a better place to work”, adding this in part can be achieved with “simple steps” such as ensuring doctors have high quality facilities in which to take rest breaks.

Dr Kennedy said: “Scotland is united in support of the principle of healthcare free at the point of need and in our desire to arrest this rapid deterioration in performance of a public service many value above all others.

“The big question our politicians will have to grasp is how to achieve this.

“BMA Scotland’s manifesto for the election sets out our proposals on how this can begin to happen. We hope it can help shape debate and inform the public.

“Ultimately this won’t be a quick or simple process, but the decisions needed simply cannot be put off or ignored any longer if the NHS is to be saved.”

Scottish Conservative health spokesperson, Dr Sandesh Gulhane, said: “SNP ministers cannot ignore these stark warnings made from those on the frontline in our health service.

“On the SNP’s watch, A&E waiting times have soared, it is next to impossible to get GP appointments and their failure to eradicate delayed discharge is having devastating knock-on effects across the NHS.

“Frontline staff have been pushed beyond breaking point and unless urgent action is taken, our health service could collapse.

“The SNP’s appalling record proves they cannot be trusted with our NHS.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “When I’m out speaking to people across the country, they tell me about the 8am rush for appointments and how they are struggling to see their GP.

“After 19 years of the SNP, Scotland deserves better. Scottish Liberal Democrats will give you faster access to GPs and a wider range of skilled staff locally, boosting early diagnosis, bringing down waits and enabling people to work.

“Our plans will be the equivalent of giving every GP practice the benefit of an additional member of clinical staff, from nurses to mental health professionals.”

Scottish Labour health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie said: “These stark warnings show our NHS is fighting for survival after 20 years of SNP government.

“With the very future of our NHS at risk the stakes in this election could not be higher.

“John Swinney and the SNP created this mess and they have no idea how to fix it.

“To deliver an NHS that is there for patients when they need it, vote for Scottish Labour on May 7.

“Only Scottish Labour can end SNP neglect, deliver the bold reform needed to restore frontline services, and give patients and staff the NHS they deserve.”

Clare Haughey, the SNP’s candidate for Rutherglen and Cambuslang, said: “Under John Swinney’s leadership, the SNP is focused on improving Scotland’s NHS – waiting times are down for nine months in a row, operation numbers up, and we are opening GP walk-in clinics all over the country.

“Under the SNP, Scotland has more GPs per head of population than anywhere else in the UK with numbers set to increase further after we made a landmark £531 million investment in core general practice.

“There is of course still much work to be done but the SNP is the only party with a plan for our NHS and it is working – on May 7 we are asking for your support to help us see it through by electing an SNP government that is on Scotland’s side.”