Scotland’s leading medical bodies have called for a radical overhaul of the NHS north of the border.
In an unprecedented move a joint statement calling for a new approach to healthcare has been issued by the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and Faculties in Scotland, and the Royal College of Nursing (RCN).
The organisations said “the time for talking and political point scoring has passed” and practical action was needed “now”.
It is the first time the royal colleges in Scotland have spoken in a single voice and piles pressure on the Scottish Government after eight years in power.
RCN Scotland director Theresa Fyffe said: “Tinkering around the edges and simply putting more and more money into the current system is not the answer.”
The colleges said the NHS faces pressure from an aging population, persistent health inequalities, inflationary pressures from new technologies and drugs, ongoing budget constraints and rising public expectations.
One of their most stinging criticisms was against the use of national targets which they say is often “skewing political priorities, wasting resources and focusing energy on too many of the wrong things”.
The Scottish Government has set out a 2020 vision for healthcare services to support people to live at home or a homely environment, wherever possible or appropriate.
The joint statement says: “But there has not been enough progress made towards achieving this vision. Instead, the focus has remained firmly on the traditional model of hospitals as the mainstay of the health service. This needs to change.”
Along with a different attitude to targets, the colleges have also called for a “genuine public debate”, new ways of delivering care and “improved inter-professional working”.
Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesman Jim Hume said: “People will wonder why successive SNP health ministers have failed to get a grip of the pressures which we’ve known were on the horizon for many years.”
Health Secretary Shona Robison said: “This is a considered contribution to the important and necessary debate about the future of health and social care in Scotland. This government will listen closely to what these key professional bodies are saying – as should all politicians.
“While we must consider the future of our health service, we should not lose sight of how far we’ve come.”