Responding to the speech on the NHS by First Minister John Swinney today, Dr Iain Kennedy, Chair of BMA Scotland said:
 
“The pressing nature of the crisis we face in our NHS is clear. The First Minister was right, therefore to set out how he sees his Government addressing this and there were some encouraging words in terms of direction of travel.
 
“As we have set out however, there is now an urgent need for a plan to deliver the kind of reforms that are required to make the Scottish NHS sustainable for generations to come. At this stage, we still lack the detail and comprehensive vision needed to make any plan a reality.

“Our survey just before Christmas emphasised just how desperate the position is for doctors, the teams they are part of and patients relying on care. It is clear that we must, as the First Minister said, shift the balance of care and find more funding directly for GPs, but that must be done on the basis of a full plan that does not simply remove funding from and risk destabilising hospital care, which is facing massive challenges.

“Previous pledges to increase capacity have not come to fruition, not least because such plans need the staff in place to deliver them. Yet at the moment, doctors are struggling to cope with simply keeping up with demand. It shows yet again that no plan for the NHS will work without a proper long term workforce plan to ensure we have the staff needed to deliver it. So we urgently need to see details and a timescale for the outline of plans set out today, and we look forward to the Scottish Government bringing them forward.”

 

Notes to editors

The BMA is a professional association and trade union representing and negotiating on behalf of all doctors in the UK. A leading voice advocating for outstanding health care and a healthy population. An association providing members with excellent individual services and support throughout their lives.