Former Health Secretary Jeane Freeman has criticized successive Scottish governments, including her own, for failing to take a long-term approach to reforming the NHS in Scotland, saying political short-termism and lack of staff consultation have contributed to the system’s current crisis.
In an interview with BBC Scotland’s The Sunday Show, Freeman said politicians have historically focused more on electoral outcomes than on meaningful reform. “Successive governments – my own included – do not take a long-term, beyond-the-electoral-cycle view of our health service,” she said, adding that frontline NHS workers “already know many of the solutions” but their voices are rarely heard because “politics gets in the way.”
Freeman served as health secretary from 2018 to 2021 and oversaw parts of Scotland’s pandemic response. She argued that political priorities often overshadow essential healthcare planning: “The problem is that the substance of issues gets lost because the focus is on how to remain in power, not on how to fix this.”
Her comments come as Scotland’s NHS faces mounting pressure, with one in nine Scots currently on waiting lists for hospital or outpatient treatment as of September 2025. The Royal College of Emergency Medicine estimates that more than 800 deaths last year were linked to excessive A&E delays, while the latest Scottish Social Attitudes Survey found that 69% of the public believe NHS performance is getting worse.
Swinney Promises GP Access Reform Amid Public Frustration
First Minister John Swinney has acknowledged that “some people have had to wait far too long” for treatment and pledged to make GP appointments easier to access. However, he stressed there was “no shortcut” to faster diagnoses and hospital care.
The Scottish government has committed £531 million over three years to recruit more GP staff and expand services, with Health Secretary Neil Gray confirming the plan includes digital prescription services. The funding, starting with £98 million in 2026–27, will rise to £249 million in the third year, subject to future budget approvals.
The British Medical Association (BMA) remains in dispute with the government, arguing that GP funding has failed to keep pace with inflation since 2008 and that an extra £290 million is needed to fill the gap.
Government Defends Record Spending and Long-Term Framework
A Scottish government spokesperson said a record £21.7 billion is being invested in health and social care this year to tackle waiting lists and ensure faster treatment. Officials highlighted the Health and Social Care Service Renewal Framework and the 10-year Population Health Framework as part of a long-term reform plan developed with clinicians and health partners.
Freeman, however, insists that sustainable improvement will only happen when policymakers give NHS workers – from consultants and nurses to janitorial and booking staff – a direct role in shaping the system. “They already have some of the answers,” she said.
