NHS will struggle to last another year, say medics

Scotland's leading medical body has warned that the NHS will struggle to make it through another year without urgent reforms.

The British Medical Association (BMA) Scotland, has issued its annual New Year message with a stark caution over the state of the health service.

The doctors' union said "transformative" changes were needed and predicted a large increase in people going private.

The Scottish government said it was "listening to clinical opinions" to steer how it delivered services.

Dr Iain Kennedy, BMA Scotland chairman, warned that the "time for words had passed" and that in 2025, there must be "action in the form of reform".

He said: "Doctors are finding themselves working in a system that is neither prepared nor staffed adequately.

"They are struggling to cope in an NHS that is in constant crisis, which is both mentally and physically exhausting."

The doctor said measures were needed to ensure the NHS remained free at the point of need and measures were essential to protect the health service long term.

"We cannot continue to simply plug gaps with short-term funding," he said. "There needs to be a whole system approach, looking at primary, secondary and social care, how they are appropriately funded and how they interact.

"We know that the pressures we are seeing on the acute services are linked to lack of resources in general practice and social care, so to help guide the overall reform we need an urgent, comprehensive workforce plan."

BMA Scotland's annual winter pressures survey - of 980 doctors - found 99% of respondents were either extremely concerned (76%) or concerned (23%) about the impact of increased pressures on the NHS throughout winter.

Seventy per cent said the NHS was in "crisis mode" all year round, and 84% did not believe the NHS had enough staff to cope with the increase in demand this winter.

More than 500 doctors also shared their experiences of working under pressure.

One testimony read: "It has become the norm to be operating at 115-120% capacity and have between 10 and 20 admissions sleeping in the ED (emergency department) overnight in corridors.

"The system is broken and needs to be addressed as an emergency."

One GP wrote: "Been crisis mode here for months. Feels like nobody in management - acute sector or community is listening or actually admitting the seriousness of the situation at all levels.

"This has, and continues to have, an impact on lives let alone safety and staff morale."

Dr Kennedy said: "Doctors have heard a lot of warm words recently from the first minister and his team about the NHS being at the heart of their recent budget, but words must be matched with a clear vision, a timetable for reform and action.

"The NHS as we know it will struggle to see out another year, as its founding principles, which we all value so highly will be at risk with more and more people forced to go private or simply left to suffer as they cannot access the care they need, when they need it."

Health Secretary Neil Gray agreed with the BMA's stance on reform and said the Scottish government was listening to patient and clinical opinions to steer how it delivered services.

He added: "The measures we set out in the draft Budget, including record £21bn investment for health and social care, would mean quicker treatments, more GP appointments, and world-class facilities for people across Scotland.

"But we will only be able to deliver these transformational investments and drive further improvements for patients if our Budget is agreed. I urge parliament to unite behind it."