SNP pledge to open ‘heart and lung MOT’ centres

An SNP government elected in May would open centres to provide “MOTs for lung and heart health”, First Minister John Swinney has said.

The centres, which would open in community settings including football stadiums, shopping centres and workplaces, would be modelled on a Japanese initiative.

Scots would be screened for cancer, COPD and heart disease, the party said, in a bid to reduce the pressure felt by the NHS.

Speaking ahead of a visit to a pharmacy on Wednesday, SNP leader John Swinney said: “The SNP will keep driving progress in our NHS – and that will rely on innovation and putting an even greater focus on prevention.

“As our population ages and our healthcare system faces growing pressure, proactive measures to keep people healthier are more important than ever.

“Our plans for new ‘one-stop shops’ will provide MOTs for lung and heart health, making it quicker and easier for people to access checks that could ultimately save their lives.

“They will identify conditions earlier, improve outcomes and help free up capacity in our NHS.

“By bringing check-ups and advice into everyday community settings – from workplaces and pharmacies to football clubs and shopping centres – we can reach people who might not otherwise come forward, particularly in more disadvantaged communities where the burden of ill health is greatest.”

Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said the SNP “cannot be trusted with your health”.

“The SNP are heading into this election with a series of broken promises, so no-one will take any fresh pledges seriously,” he said.

“They cannot be trusted with your health. They do not deserve a single vote from anyone who’s struggling to get the vital care they need.

“After 19 years of uninterrupted SNP failure on healthcare, Scotland deserves change with fairness at its heart.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats are committed to delivering first-rate health care – so you can see your GP, dentist or mental health professional when you need them. If you like the sound of that, you should back the Scottish Liberal Democrats on your second, peach regional ballot paper.”

Scottish Conservative health spokesman Sandesh Gulhane said the SNP cannot be trusted to deliver on its promises regarding the NHS.

He said: “John Swinney has had two decades to deliver for Scottish patients but he’s presiding over a permanent crisis in our NHS.

“If this was such a good idea, he wouldn’t have waited until an election period to announce it.

“The SNP cannot be trusted to deliver on their pledges in relation to Scotland’s health service, considering they’ve not met their pledge to eradicate one-year waits for patients or their own cancer waiting-time targets for a decade.

“Swinney will spend the next five years obsessing over independence rather than the NHS. That is why Scots must use their peach ballot paper to vote Scottish Conservative wherever you live in Scotland to stop an SNP majority.”

Mr Swinney drew similar criticism from Scottish Labour, who said the NHS is now “even worse” five years after the SNP said it would recover the service.

Scottish Labour health spokeswoman Dame Jackie Baillie said: “It takes a brass neck for John Swinney to pretend he’s going to fix the mess he made of our NHS.

“Five years ago the SNP promised to deliver an NHS recovery and now things are even worse, so no-one is buying this desperate spin.

“The truth is the John Swinney and the SNP have been in government for nearly two decades – if they knew how to improve things, they would have done it by now.

“The only way to fix the crisis in our NHS and give Scots the health service they deserve is by voting Scottish Labour on May 7, and getting rid of this failing SNP government.”