Latest news with #BMAScotland
STV News
6 hours ago
- Health
- STV News
NHS ‘dying before our eyes', BMA to say, as survey reveals Scots going private
The NHS is 'dying before our very eyes', the union representing doctors has warned, as a new poll revealed the extent of private medical care in Scotland. The survey, carried out by the Diffley Partnership for BMA Scotland, found nearly a third (29%) of Scots had accessed private treatment in the last two years or lived with someone who did. Dr Iain Kennedy, BMA Scotland chairman, said it was 'abundantly clear' that Scotland was now divided between people who could afford to go private – and those forced to 'languish' on NHS waiting lists. He warned the situation will get worse unless the Scottish Government takes immediate action to secure the future of the country's health system. According to the survey, 17% of Scots reported accessing private medical care in the last two years while 14% said a member of their household had done so. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of respondents who had accessed private care for themselves or a member of their household said it was because the NHS waiting list was too long. Of those who underwent private treatment, 45% used personal savings while 20% said they had to cut back on leisure activities to afford it. Some 9% had to cut back on essential items such as energy and groceries while another 9% had to borrow money to fund private treatment. Nearly half (46%) of respondents who did not use private care in the past two years said it was because they could not afford to. Some 43% said their likelihood of using private healthcare had significantly or somewhat increased in the past few years. Meanwhile, 63% reported their confidence in being able to access a timely hospital appointment through the NHS had significantly or somewhat decreased in the past few years, as 60% said the same for GP appointments. In a speech to the BMA's 2025 annual representative meeting in Liverpool, Dr Kennedy will point to his warning last Christmas that the NHS would struggle to see another year with its founding principles remaining intact. He is expected to say: 'Our NHS should be free at the point of need. But, through today's research, I can reveal that almost a third of Scots say either they or someone in their household have had to use private healthcare within the last two years. 'Our survey showed that the majority are forced to do so, as waiting lists are simply too long. They just can't get the timely care they need. 'And it will only get worse, because 43% of those surveyed feel they are now more likely to go private. 'It is abundantly clear that Scotland has been divided into those who can afford private healthcare and those languishing on ever longer NHS waiting lists.' Dr Kennedy will say he does not believe the issue was a result of an 'active choice' but 'a failure get to grips with an evolving population and its health needs'. He will warn: 'But, be in no doubt, the NHS is dying before our very eyes.' The doctor will call for reform in four parts of the NHS, including a shift in the balance of care into the community, the instruction of a workforce plan to recruit and retain doctors as the population ages, a long-term focus on prevention and a 'more mature' approach to measuring the health service. He will tell BMA members on Tuesday: 'The chance to save our NHS remains. If we want to provide timely care to all, which is free at the point of need, then immediate action is required. 'We did ask the Scottish Government for a national conversation but were largely ignored. So, instead, NHS reform must now happen.' He will add: 'The impact of the Scottish Government repeatedly ignoring the warnings made by the BMA and many others is clear. Patients are suffering, unable to access the care they need when they need it, or having to use their own hard-earned money to go private.' The Diffley Partnership surveyed 1,203 people aged 16 or over between May 30 and June 4. The Scottish Government has been approached for comment. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Daily Record
9 hours ago
- Health
- Daily Record
Scottish Government must solve NHS waiting list crisis as service 'is dying'
BMA Scotland's warning that the NHS 'is dying before our very eyes' should be a call to arms. The union's poll has revealed just how many Scots are using private healthcare. The problem lies in long waiting lists, with one in six Scots currently awaiting treatment. This is a long-standing problem which the SNP government must do more to tackle. Its failure to do so is driving more and more Scots towards private medical care. Nearly a third of those surveyed have either used private healthcare in the last two years or lives with someone who has. This is a damning reflection of the Scottish Government's running of the NHS and should be causing alarm bells to ring. Not all those who are going private can afford it. Many are having to give up on leisure activities or have to dip into personal savings. The number of people using private care would be even higher but many Scots don't have the money needed to pay for it. People feel they have no alternative to going private to get the healthcare that they need. Their only other option is to 'languish' on a waiting list for months or, all too often, years. The NHS is a treasured institution and a source of national pride. Healthcare should be free at the point of use for everyone – but is has to be available when needed. The reality is we now have a two-tier system where those who can afford it pay and those who cannot have to continue suffering. This can't go on. The Scottish Government must do more solve the waiting list crisis in our health service. Robin us blind Nigel Farage has tried to fool the public by saying he will bring in a Robin Hood tax. But his pledge to take a one-off fee of £250,000 from wealthy tycoons and give it to the lowest 10 per cent of earners will actually just be a massive tax break for the super rich. It would let billionaires off by paying very little tax and would leave the UK Government with £34billion less to spend on our health service and schools. He couldn't even answer questions about how it would impact the economy yesterday. Farage and Reform do not care about helping poorer people. All they want to do is give a hand to Farage's wealthy pals and let them pay less tax. Do not fall for his lies.
Glasgow Times
5 days ago
- Health
- Glasgow Times
Dr Sandesh Gulhane MSP: 'Patients are waiting while ministers profit'
While practice staff are overwhelmed and patients grow desperate, a revolving door of SNP health secretaries have shuffled through office, out of their depth, armed with spin instead of solutions. When they do act, they fail to deliver. The GP contract was meant to reduce rising workload by bringing in wider support teams. Instead, seven years on, those teams never arrived, and GPs have been abandoned, forced to manage workforce shortages on their own. And amid the chaos which has left practices on the brink of collapse, SNP ministers still found time to give themselves a £20,000 pay rise. This isn't a hypothetical crisis – it's unfolding every day across Greater Glasgow and Clyde. There are now fewer than 232 GP surgeries serving more than 1.3 million people. Nearly a third of those practices have at least one GP vacancy. Many GPs are now responsible for 1400 patients, well above the national average. Patients are told to call back again and again. Some wait more than a week for an appointment. Urgent care is often delayed. And while patients wait in phone queues, health is quietly deteriorating. And here's the madness: all of this is happening at the same time as qualified GPs – trained in Scotland, ready to work – can't find a job, they're unemployed or, quite literally, driving Ubers to make ends meet. That's not just wasteful, it's unforgivable. It is SNP mismanagement in its purest form: desperate need on one side, underused expertise on the other – and absolutely no grip from those in charge. I declare an interest: I'm a practising NHS GP. Every week, I see the toll this takes on patients and on staff. I was also co-chair of BMA Scotland's GP Trainees Committee. I know the reality on the ground. I know what it feels like when the printer breaks, the phones jam and your last patient of the day needs more than 10 minutes. And I know what it's like when the Government is nowhere to be seen. The SNP once promised 800 more GPs by 2027. Instead, the number has dropped – from 4514 in 2022 to 4438 last year. They failed to plan for retirements. Failed to retain newly qualified GPs. And failed to create posts for the very doctors they trained. The Scottish Conservatives offer a serious alternative. We would prioritise training places for Scottish-domiciled students – those most likely to stay and serve. We would guarantee NHS jobs for Scotland-trained graduates, and we would increase the GP budget, ring-fencing funds to boost appointment access and keep practices open. We also propose a seven day a week GP-led service, backed by expanded NHS24 capacity and digital tools that cut bureaucracy, not care. These are real solutions to ease pressure on hospitals and ensure patients get timely treatment. This is what happens when policy is shaped by people who've actually done the job. Meanwhile, SNP ministers focus on headlines, not healthcare. Three health secretaries since the last Holyrood election. Promises made, promises missed and patients left behind. But this can be turned around. With real leadership, general practice can recover. It starts by listening to those on the front line – and finally putting patients first.
Scotsman
11-05-2025
- Health
- Scotsman
MSPs must consider psychological effects of assisted dying law on doctors
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Amid the debate over a law allowing 'assisted dying' – or 'assisted suicide' – the effect on the doctors who would be asked to provide that lethal assistance is sometimes overlooked. According to Liam McArthur, the MSP behind the proposed legislation, doctors could be allowed to cap the number of people they help to die and there is also a 'conscientious objection' clause in the Bill, which parliament will vote on this week. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad However, doctors union BMA Scotland, which is neutral about the idea of an assisted dying law itself, has said that there should be an 'opt-in system' for doctors 'so that only those who positively choose to provide assisted dying are able to do so'. 'We believe that doctors should be given the choice of whether and, if so, to what extent they were willing to participate,' a spokesperson said. John Swinney has spoken movingly about his struggle to decide how to vote on the assisted dying Bill (Picture: Andy Buchanan/pool) | Getty Images Swinney's 'incredibly difficult' decision This seems entirely reasonable, if such a law is to be passed. It is no small thing to participate in the ending of a life, particularly for those whose careers, whose lives, are dedicated to saving them. Last week, John Swinney, whose wife Elizabeth has MS, a terminal illness, revealed he would vote against the Bill because of concerns about its implications, but he added that it had been an 'incredibly difficult' decision. The First Minister also said he was "full of admiration" for McArthur. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It is clear that all involved are trying to make the right decision and only have the best of intentions. This is an issue that needs to be debated and discussed with all due seriousness. However, Swinney's main reasons for voting against – that the Bill could undermine the role of medical professionals in saving lives; that vulnerable people could feel 'undue pressure' to end their lives prematurely; and that the legislation could be extended by legal challenges, as has happened in other countries – are compelling.
Glasgow Times
28-04-2025
- Health
- Glasgow Times
Glasgow GP surgeries could be disrupted by strikes
GPs have warned that a massive funding gap must be urgently plugged in order to save the service and the future of the NHS. BMA Scotland said that 17 years of 'eroded' funding now means there is a GP funding shortfall of 22.8%. The trade union said ministers must inject £290 million into GP services in order to deliver 'full funding restoration." READ MORE: Glasgow's Kiltwalk sees nearly 20,000 walkers raise millions this weekend It said the funding gap, which it said had grown worse as inflation outstrips cash from the Government, is having a 'huge impact' on the ability to provide patients with the treatment they need. The BMA said this came at a time when the nation's population continues to rise, along with a higher prevalence of disease and more treatment options. Dr Iain Morrison, chair of the BMA's Scottish General Practitioners Committee, said: 'The funding we receive for every patient we care for has been eroded year after year against inflation since 2008. 'In all, eroded funding streams and new cost pressures have created a shortfall in practice funding of 22.8% when inflation is taken into account. 'This means practices simply do not have the resources required to employ all the staff they need and, in particular, GPs, at a time when demand is going up at a rapid rate. 'We know that access to GPs is undeniably a real issue, and patients can struggle to get an appointment at their surgery in a timely manner.' READ MORE: John Swinney calls for Irish rappers Kneecap to be cut from Glasgow's TRNSMT Dr Morrison said medics shared the 'frustration' of patients struggling to access their local GP, adding that doctors 'want to be able to deliver a service that we are proud of, rather than constantly apologising for'. He said: 'This can only be achieved if urgent action is taken to address a £290 million funding gap – around 1% of the Scottish NHS budget – to stabilise general practice and begin the process of giving our patients the access they need and deserve. 'Unless this is delivered, it will leave general practice at risk of failing. We provide 90% of patient contact, and without general practice, the NHS simply cannot survive.' BMA Scotland has launched a campaign to help explain to patients why they may be struggling to get access to their GP. Scots will be urged to 'stand with your surgery' and back the union's call for GPs to receive more funding. Dr Morrison said it was 'clear we desperately need more GPs' as the number of GPs per patient reduced from one in 1515 in 2013 to one in 1735. READ MORE: Dad's plea for drivers to give 'frightened' kids more cycling space on Glasgow road He added: 'If the Government does not act, then we really do risk the end of general practice in Scotland as we know it, and we cannot allow that to happen. 'We have put the Scottish Government on notice that the current direction of travel is leading us towards formal dispute, which the profession has told us is ultimately something they are prepared to do, if it is needed, to save general practice, and properly support the patients we care for in communities up and down Scotland. 'This would be a very last resort, and we want to work at pace with the Government and do all we can to avoid going down that path. 'The rhetoric for the Government on this suggests they are listening, but action is now required.' The Scottish Tories urged ministers to 'finally heed this stark warning' from the BMA and invest in GPs. Dr Sandesh Gulhane, the party's health spokesperson at Holyrood, said: 'It's absurd that at a time when patients can't get appointments because my GP colleagues are completely overwhelmed, practices can't afford to take on new doctors to alleviate the crisis due to a lack of funding. 'It's even more crazy when we have countless unemployed GPs desperate to work. 'The SNP's steady eroding of funding to GPs is dangerous and illogical because it can prevent the early detection of illnesses like cancer, as well as leading some patients to turn up at already-overwhelmed A&E departments instead. 'The SNP need to invest more in most patients' first port of call in the NHS, and less on bureaucracy.' READ MORE: Popular Glasgow pub known for 'home-cooked pub grub' hits the market Dame Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour's health spokesperson, said the SNP has 'run primary care into the ground'. She added: 'GPs are expected to deal with hundreds more patients than there were 10 years ago — this is creating a doom loop of burnout and stress while patients wait on the end of the line. 'Yet rather than recruiting more GPs as promised, the SNP has delivered less. 'And even as patients join the 8am appointment queue, there are qualified GPs sitting on their hands because they can't find work.' A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said: 'We are in regular dialogue with the BMA, and we are giving careful consideration to their recent letter. 'We welcome the BMA's collaborative approach in working with us to transform healthcare in Scotland. 'GPs play a vital role in our health service, and we value the care that they provide to patients at a challenging time for the healthcare system. 'We have increased investment in general practice by £73.2 million in the last financial year and are determined to increase the number of GPs in Scotland by 800, by 2027, with an additional 307 GPs added since 2017. 'Our renewed plan for the NHS will ensure that a greater proportion of new funding goes to primary and community care, which will assist in supporting both GPs and helping people to access GP services.'
