Budget to deliver sustainable funding boost for Scottish NHS

28 Oct 2018

Nicola Sturgeon is being urged this week to put in place a clear long-term plan for Scotland’s NHS – with the UK budget set to smash the scaremongering claims she made prior to the Independence referendum.

Tomorrow’s Commons statement by the Chancellor is expected to confirm a £20 billion boost for the NHS across the UK – with an extra £2 billion dedicated for Scotland by 2022.

The Scottish Conservatives are today calling on the SNP to guarantee every penny goes to health and social care in order to help tackle the deficiencies outlined by last week’s damning Audit Scotland report.

The party is also calling on the SNP to admit claims they made during the referendum campaign – when they claimed the NHS would be hit by “hugely damaging cuts” have been proven to be false.

And setting out their own plans, the party is calling for the SNP to put the NHS Scotland on a secure long-term footing by boosting spending on GP services, rooting out ineffiencies, shifting more spending towards preventative care, and boosting cancer treatment.

Scottish Conservative shadow health secretary Miles Briggs said:

“Four years ago, Nicola Sturgeon tried to scare people into voting for independence by claiming a No vote would lead to cuts to our NHS. It was scaremongering then, and it’s now proven to be nonsense.

“The First Minister loves to preach to others about the false claims made in referendums – perhaps this week she should admit to her own.

“As health chiefs south of the border have made clear, tomorrow’s Budget deal will put the NHS on a firm footing, so we can improve care for patients over the long term. We now need the SNP to show the same ambition.

“As Health Secretary, it was Nicola Sturgeon herself who cut the number of training places for nurses and midwives in Scotland. That spectacular error of judgement has created the workforce crisis in Scotland that see a shortage of over 3,200 nurses and midwives in our NHS today.

“Every penny the SNP receives this week in extra NHS spending should go on health and care in Scotland. We need to see more of our funding going to support GPs on the front line. We need to see improvements to cancer treatment and it is time to cut the waste and inefficiency that is stopping doctors and nurses from getting on with their jobs.

“The NHS in Scotland has a bright future. The SNP has run out of excuses. Let’s see Nicola Sturgeon set out a plan not a grievance for once.”