John Swinney vows action on GP appointment ‘lottery’

NHS Scotland will ship an additional 100,000 appointments in GP surgical procedures in a bid to finish the 08:00 “lottery”, First Minister John Swinney has pledged.

The SNP chief made the announcement as he unveiled his administration’s programme for government 12 months forward of the Holyrood election in Could 2026.

In addition to placing the NHS “on the coronary heart” of the legislative and coverage agenda, Swinney introduced his authorities would completely ban peak rail fares and finish an alcohol ban on ScotRail trains.

The Conservatives mentioned the assertion was “extra of the identical” whereas Labour accused SNP ministers of losing public funds after 18 years in energy.

The programme for presidency units out the coverage and legislative objectives for the following parliamentary 12 months.

It’s normally printed after the summer season recess, however Swinney moved the date this 12 months to “allow a full 12 months to supply” earlier than the Holyrood election.

He informed MSPs at Holyrood that his plans amounted to a “programme for a greater Scotland”.

Swinney acknowledged the issue many face in getting GP appointments could cause “deep frustration” in what he mentioned was “described because the 8am lottery”.

He mentioned the NHS would ship an additional 100,000 appointments in GP surgical procedures targeted on “key danger components similar to hypertension, excessive ldl cholesterol, weight problems and smoking”.

It’s understood GPs will probably be given additional funding to permit them to usher in individuals with situations similar to hypertension or ldl cholesterol issues for check-ups earlier than they’re feeling unwell sufficient to ask to see a physician.

It’s hoped this may assist ease the demand for on-the-day appointments.

The announcement, coming simply 9 months after the final programme for presidency, was mild on proposed laws.

Swinney as an alternative hung out emphasising his authorities’s earlier file.

Among the many concrete measures was a dedication to scrap peak rail fares on nationalised ScotRail trains.

A earlier pilot scheme was axed by the federal government final 12 months, with ministers citing low passenger numbers.

Swinney mentioned the transfer would “put extra money in individuals’s pockets and imply much less CO2 is pumped into our skies”.

Ministers additionally say they are going to finish an alcohol ban on ScotRail trains, which has been in place since 2020.

It’s to get replaced by “laws that focus restrictions extra successfully on explicit instances and places, just like earlier restrictions”.

Forward of the announcement, Swinney confronted questions on anti-social behaviour related to a scheme giving everybody beneath the age of twenty-two a free bus move.

The federal government confirmed it was engaged on a scheme to droop, or probably completely take away, passes from these partaking in anti-social behaviour.

Swinney informed MSPs youngster poverty and tackling cost-of-living pressures have been additionally amongst his priorities.

It got here after figures launched in March confirmed the Scottish authorities had missed its legal targets for lowering youngster poverty.

The Scottish authorities introduced in December that it will successfully offset the two-child profit cap north of the border by April 2026, or earlier if doable.

The cap, launched by the UK authorities in 2017, prevents dad and mom from claiming common credit score or youngster tax credit score for greater than two kids, with a couple of exemptions.

Swinney mentioned his authorities was “on monitor” to ship funds to affected households by subsequent 12 months.

He mentioned the federal government would publish a toddler poverty motion plan for 2026 to 2031 “to maintain us on the journey to satisfy our poverty discount targets for 2030”.

To assist stimulate the economic system, the primary minster introduced a six-point export plan “to allow Scottish exporters to diversify and develop markets”.

He additionally mentioned ministers would arrange funds for analysis initiatives and start-ups.

The SNP chief mentioned the Scottish authorities would improve funding to the Acorn carbon capture project past a earlier £80m cap – if given the go-ahead by the UK authorities.

The programme for presidency features a dedication to not introduce new revenue tax bands, or improve present charges, earlier than the following election.

It additionally says ministers will deliver ahead a invoice to manage non-surgical procedures that are provided for “beauty or way of life functions”.

Final week the Scottish authorities mentioned it will not bring forward planned legislation to criminalise misogyny earlier than subsequent 12 months’s election – sparking criticism from the Scottish Greens.

Ministers mentioned there was not sufficient time to attract up a regulation which mirrored the latest Supreme Courtroom judgement on the definition of a girl, and as an alternative deliberate to amend current hate crime laws to offer protections on the premise of intercourse.

The federal government additionally confirmed it will not be bringing ahead laws to finish conversion remedy this time period.

Throughout his announcement, Swinney mentioned the federal government was “completely dedicated” to tackling misogyny.

He additionally mentioned his ministers would work with the UK authorities to ship a conversion remedy ban throughout Scotland, England and Wales.

Scottish Conservative chief Russell Findlay described the programme for presidency as “flimsy” and “extra of the identical”.

He informed MSPs that it “would do little to revive public belief”.

Labour chief Anas Sarwar mentioned billions of kilos of public cash had been “wasted by the SNP” throughout its time in energy, calling the announcement “embarrassing”.

He added: “This assertion fails to satisfy the challenges or ambitions of the individuals of Scotland.”

John Dickie, director of the Baby Poverty Motion Group in Scotland, mentioned the federal government’s plan “lacks the size and urgency wanted to satisfy statutory targets by no means thoughts obtain the FM’s ambition to eradicate youngster poverty altogether”.

The Poverty Alliance mentioned the coverage agenda “does not go far sufficient”, whereas the STUC described it as “daring on rhetoric however mild on particulars and on money”.

Cease Local weather Chaos Scotland mentioned the programme for presidency provided “too little, too slowly”.

Nonetheless, the Scottish Chamber of Commerce mentioned it was a step “in the fitting course”.