David Phillips, from the Institute for Fiscal Studies, has criticised First Minister John Swinney’s pledge to improve NHS services in Scotland.
In January 2025 Swinney stated his commitment to improve the NHS. By reducing wait times, increasing the number of scheduled appointments and procedures, and improving access to care, Swinney hopes NHS reforms will improve healthcare provision in Scotland.
Currently in development is an NHS app, which would allow patients an easier way to manage their appointments online, and millions of pounds in funding are being set aside for NHS improvements.
In an interview with BBC Scotland’s Sunday Show, Phillips cited his concern for NHS productivity, believing that it has not improved despite an increase in funding.
Phillips argues that NHS productivity has not yet returned to the level it was operating at before Covid. Patients are still experiencing long waiting times greater than the government’s goal of keeping waiting times under 4 hours.
Phillips also draws attention to the fact that the number of appointments available has not increased, despite a rise in the number of employed healthcare workers. Phillips says he found a discrepancy in NHS budget records, between the extra money added for improving health service and the amount of extra appointments available.
While £1.5bn was added to the health service budget this year, Phillips argues that outputs do not align with the increase in funding.
Phillip also discussed the issue of inflation and the need to increase NHS funding by an amount proportional to factors such as rising costs of pay and the growing senior population. Though statistical data appears to show an increase of approximately 5 per cent over inflation, Phillip still does not believe NHS’s productivity has improved.
As a result of the issues Swinney has identified within the Scottish healthcare system, people continue to struggle to access appropriate healthcare.
Due to the limited availability of time slots for regular check-ups and critical health procedures, patients waiting for medical care risk developing long-term negative health effects. Though Swinney promises that changes are in progress, Phillip remains pessimistic about how successful these changes will be.
“John Swinney (27081153446)” by Scottish Government is licensed under CC BY 2.0.