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The Herald Scotland
01-07-2025
- Health
- The Herald Scotland
John Swinney pledges ‘whole family support' across Scotland
As First Minister, I absolutely share that determination to transform Scotland. In January, I said there is nothing wrong in Scotland that cannot be fixed by what is right in Scotland. That remains truer today than ever. Swinney: I've listened to families across Scotland — this is what they really need (Image: Colin Mearns/NQ) We have made huge progress by delivering policies that have helped transform lives and communities all over Scotland. Take free prescriptions, the baby box, free higher education, and public investment in a social security system that treats people with dignity and respect. These policies have helped change the lives of millions of Scots. But we must go further. I know that people expect their public services to be better – as they should. Too often, services have been delivered in silos, creating barriers for those using them, especially those who need support the most. That must change. We must deliver a generational shift in how we access public services in Scotland. Put simply, we must always think of people, instead of services. Public services are about giving children the best start in life; about helping parents back into work by providing cohesive, wraparound early learning and childcare. Public services are about giving families safe, warm, affordable homes to live in. Public services are the GP practices that we all rely on, day in, day out. All these services should be working together to listen and respond to the needs of people and families. It should not matter which agency, department or part of the local authority delivers that service – it should only matter that the service is delivering for you. Put simply, we must deliver whole family support. And it is already happening. I recently visited Oakwood Medical Practice in Easterhouse – one of eight GP practices which, supported by Scottish Government funding, is making it easier for families to access different support services by delivering a Whole Family Support model. What does this mean in reality? Well, it means each GP practice has a family wellbeing worker who provides people with advice on the right kinds of support and where they might access that help. It means GP surgeries can be places where people start to get a wider variety of help to overcome the challenges of everyday life, tackle poverty and address further risks to their health and wellbeing. In Glasgow, reform of the care system for children and young people has led to a substantial reduction in the number of children coming into care. This has happened by shifting money towards early support to prevent that happening and help families to stay together and care for their children. We need to turn this groundbreaking work into business as usual, so that everyone in Scotland has this kind of support. I know this is radical change. Generational, even. My government is a part of the system, and I recognise that we need to change how we do things, too. That is why we are committed to delivering a radical programme of public sector reform to help our national renewal. Through our work in Public Service Reform, Population Health and the Service Renewal Framework for Health and Social Care, we are turning the dial on transforming our public sector and the services we rely on. Swinney visiting a Glasgow GP surgery doing something quietly revolutionary (Image: Colin Mearns/NQ) Last week, I hosted an event with representatives from across Scotland's public services, the third sector, local government, academia and beyond. The approaches, ideas, commitments and solutions that were shared in that room filled me with confidence. There are pockets of success out there – I have had the privilege to see it first-hand. The task now is to grow these into standard, national successes that benefit people all over Scotland. This kind of working together will be vital if we are going to make whole family support a reality. Over the coming weeks and months, my government will be working tirelessly on this task. We will support and incentivise our partners at local level to be as innovative as they can be. We will pool budgets, increase flexibility and cut through red tape. This is my pledge to the people of Scotland. I want to see change just as much as you do. I want us to realise our full ambitions for Scotland. As First Minister, I will do whatever it takes to fight for a future where people can access the help they need easily, when and where it is convenient to them. I have always been clear that eradicating child poverty is my top priority as First Minister. Whole family support is one of the key things that will help us achieve that goal. Our public services have the potential to be greater than the sum of their parts. This is what our country needs, and it is what will truly transform Scotland and the lives of our people for the better. John Swinney is the First Minister of Scotland
The Herald Scotland
01-07-2025
- Health
- The Herald Scotland
John Swinney: My promise to Scots on public services
READ MORE He adds: "Too often, services have been delivered in silos, creating barriers for those using them, especially those who need support the most. "That must change. We must deliver a generational shift in how we access public services in Scotland. Put simply, we must always think of people, instead of services. "It should not matter which agency, department or part of the local authority delivers that service – it should only matter that the service is delivering for you. Put simply, we must deliver whole family support." He points to a pilot project in Easterhouse, Glasgow, where eight GP surgeries – including Oakwood Medical Practice, which he recently visited – are implementing the model with Scottish Government funding. Each practice now has a dedicated family wellbeing worker linking people to a range of support services. Mr Swinney also highlights reforms in Glasgow's care system, which have seen a shift towards early intervention and family support – a model he wants to roll out nationally. "We need to turn this ground-breaking work into business as usual," he writes. Acknowledging this would be a "radical change – generational, even," he says his government must also change how it works. His administration has committed to a "radical programme of public sector reform" as part of a wider national renewal effort. The Scottish Government recently announced plans to make savings of £1 billion, in part by cutting back office costs by around 20% and reducing the number of public agencies. Last week, Mr Swinney gathered leaders from across public services, local government, the third sector and academia to discuss his plan. The event, he says, "filled me with confidence". "There are pockets of success out there – I have had the privilege to see it first-hand. The task now is to grow these into standard, national successes that benefit people all over Scotland. "This kind of working together will be vital if we are going to make whole family support a reality." The First Minister adds: "This is my pledge to the people of Scotland. I want to see change just as much as you do. I want us to realise our full ambitions for Scotland. "As First Minister, I will do whatever it takes to fight for a future where people can access the help they need easily, when and where it is convenient to them." READ MORE Scottish Labour deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie said Mr Swinney had a "brass neck" to promise improvements after nearly two decades in office. 'The truth is, if the SNP had any ideas at all about how to make public services work better for Scots, they would have done it long before now. 'However, this is a tired government that is completely out of ideas and has no vision for Scotland. 'John Swinney has been at the heart of the SNP in government since 2007 and he must take a large share of the blame for the current state of public services across the country." Rachael Hamilton, deputy leader of the Scottish Conservatives, was scathing: "Scots won't suddenly be fooled into thinking he has all the answers to fix our ailing public services which are completely overwhelmed thanks to the nationalists' gross mismanagement. "That's because they've been too busy promoting divisive fringe 'gender ideology' and unaffordable independence plans, rather than delivering for our health service, our schools and what truly impacts people's lives."
Glasgow Times
09-06-2025
- Health
- Glasgow Times
First Minister visits Glasgow GP taking part in wellbeing project
Oakwood Medical Practice in Easterhouse is one of 12 surgeries in deprived areas across the city that are involved in the Whole Family Support in General Practice project. The service takes a preventative approach to family wellbeing and uses GP appointments to identify wider support needed to help families in poverty and at risk of poor health outcomes. (Image: Colin Mearns) Mr Swinney praised the 'collaborative, preventative work' which has received a combined £3.5 million from the Scottish Government since 2023. Each of the practices involved in the project has a family wellbeing worker who can provide advice on the right kinds of support and the partner service best placed to help. The project also supports outreach work with families who might benefit from further engagement with primary care services to address complex health needs. (Image: Colin Mearns) READ NEXT: Greg Monks' family say they believe he 'got lost' in Portugal (Image: Colin Mearns) (Image: Colin Mearns) Speaking ahead of the visit, Mr Swinney said: 'Scotland's GP practices are right at the heart of our communities where they help local people and their families on a daily basis. "We recognise them as trusted and established services providing crucial medical advice and care. 'It is precisely this trust that means GP surgeries can be places where people start to get a wider variety of help that will allow them to overcome the challenges of everyday life, tackle poverty and address further risks to their health and wellbeing. 'Eradicating child poverty and improving public services are two of my main priorities as First Minister. "Along with economic growth and tackling the climate emergency, they are the key areas where I want to see delivery of real improvements. 'I've spoken often about how these priorities don't exist in isolation – there will be lots of different connections between them. 'The Whole Family Support In General Practice project is exactly the sort of work I had in mind – collaborative, preventative work that will deliver clear benefits for people in Scotland.' The three-year project is led by Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership, supported by more than £1.5 million in Scottish Government funding for 2025/26.
STV News
09-06-2025
- Health
- STV News
John Swinney to visit GP surgery taking part in ‘family wellbeing' project
First Minister John Swinney will visit a GP practice in one of the most deprived parts of Glasgow which is taking part in a project to improve family wellbeing by making it easier to access support services. Oakwood Medical Practice in Easterhouse is one of 12 in deprived areas across Glasgow taking part in the Whole Family Support in General Practice project, which takes a preventative approach to family wellbeing. It uses GP appointments to identify wider support needed to help families in poverty and at risk of poor health outcomes. Mr Swinney will visit on Monday, and hailed the 'collaborative, preventative work' which has received a combined £3.5 million from the Scottish Government since 2023. Each of the practices has a family wellbeing worker who can provide advice on the right kinds of support and the partner service best placed to help. The project also supports outreach work with families who might benefit from further engagement with primary care services to address complex health needs. The three-year project is led by Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership, supported by more than £1.5 million in Scottish Government funding for 2025-26. Speaking ahead of the visit, Mr Swinney said: 'Scotland's GP practices are right at the heart of our communities where they help local people and their families on a daily basis. We recognise them as trusted and established services providing crucial medical advice and care. 'It is precisely this trust that means GP surgeries can be places where people start to get a wider variety of help that will allow them to overcome the challenges of everyday life, tackle poverty and address further risks to their health and wellbeing. 'Eradicating child poverty and improving public services are two of my main priorities as First Minister. Along with economic growth and tackling the climate emergency, they are the key areas where I want to see delivery of real improvements. 'I've spoken often about how these priorities don't exist in isolation – there will be lots of different connections between them. 'The Whole Family Support In General Practice project is exactly the sort of work I had in mind – collaborative, preventative work that will deliver clear benefits for people in Scotland.' 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
