First Minister will outline his vision for
NHS recovery and renewal on Monday – and will set out a series of
actions to ensure patients have better access to treatment. These
will include:
- A clear plan to reduce the immediate pressures on the NHS
- Shifting the balance of care from acute services to the
community, including improved support for GPs
- Using digital innovation to improve access to and delivery of
care
The First Minister is expected to say:
“The NHS is personal for me – I see first hand all that it does
for my own family. It is personal for all of us, and that is why
we care about it so much. That is why we want to see it thriving
again and why we need all parts of Scottish society to unite
behind its renewal.
“There are some who oppose the NHS model and believe that the
answer to our challenges is privatisation. They want us to
believe that the health service is beyond saving and on the point
of collapse. But that is simply not true.
“The challenges are great, of that I have no doubt. But I know
that our NHS is fundamentally resilient and robust. There is
nothing wrong with the NHS that can't be fixed by what is right
with the NHS.
“That includes the staff who are doing phenomenal things under
enormous pressure. Innovations like the Rapid Cancer Diagnostic
Service delivering dramatic reductions in the time from referral
to diagnosis. And initiatives like the HPV vaccine programme
which has ensured no cases of cervical cancer in women who have
been vaccinated – a remarkable, lifesaving achievement.
“The foundations on which we will build NHS recovery and renewal
are strong. But the question is how do we do better? How do
we ensure our health service is not just the best in these isles,
but the best it can possibly be?
“The actions I am setting out tomorrow will deliver tangible
improvements that we can, and will, deliver to make people's
experience of the NHS in Scotland better than it is now.
“It will address the immediate issues in our health services,
including the problems of access that I know cause so much
frustration and unnecessary pain.
“And it will set out a new course so we can safeguard our NHS for
the long-term.”
