Wednesday 6 March
As part of our NHS 2048 series, we were delighted to host a very frank discussion about the state of the NHS in Scotland with Dr Iain Kennedy, chair of Scottish Council for BMA Scotland.
The health service is in deep trouble, wilting under the weight of long waiting lists and waiting times, staffing and bed shortages, funding tensions and more. All projections suggest the crisis will only intensify in the years ahead.
Medics and other experts across the sector are calling for a “national conversation”, to be followed by a concerted period of short, medium and long-term reform. The SNP Government announced in its pre-Christmas Budget it will carry out the “national conversation”, but has yet to provide further details. Scottish Labour is making NHS reform a priority for the 2026 devolved election.
How deep do the difficulties run and why have they come about? What are the consequences for healthcare staff and patients? And what are the measures that might ensure the NHS reaches its 100th anniversary in 2048 in better health?
These and other issues were discussed between Dr Kennedy and Chris Deerin, Director of Reform Scotland. Watch back the event here: