14 December 2007
Plans for a 'new era' of patient and public participation in the Scottish NHS have been outlined by Health and Wellbeing Secretary Nicola Sturgeon.
Announcing details of the SNP government's plan, Better Health, Better Care, on December 12, she said the proposals recognise 'the public not just as consumers with rights but as owners of the NHS, with rights and responsibilities.
'It represents a radical shift towards an NHS that is truly publicly owned,' Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament.
Initiatives include a public consultation on a patients' rights Bill by May 2008. This will cover waiting time guarantees and the right of patients to be treated as partners in their care. It will be followed by a healthcare Bill that will include proposals for direct elections to NHS boards.
An annual 'ownership report' will be distributed to every household in Scotland. This will set out the rights and responsibilities of patients and their carers alongside information on how to access local services and raise issues or complaints.
Sturgeon also pledged 'more flexible' access to GPs, a commitment to cut GP referral to treatment time to a maximum of 18 weeks and proposals to enhance the role of community pharmacies.
The plan also includes new annual performance targets and measures for NHS boards across Scotland.
Labour, the main opposition party in the Parliament, said there was widespread concern over the SNP's failure to maintain the same level of spending on health as when Labour was in power.
PFdec2007
