In a rare joint statement, the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges & Faculties in Scotland and the Royal College of Nursing Scotland said: “The current approach to setting and reporting on national targets and measures, while having initially delivered some real improvements, is now creating an unsustainable culture that pervades the NHS.
“It is often skewing clinical priorities, wasting resources and focusing energy on too many of the wrong things,” the statement added.
“As a matter of urgency, there needs to be a more mature approach to how the NHS uses targets, standards and other performance measures to ensure better and sustainable outcomes across the health service.”
The statement called for a ‘frank debate’ about the financial pressures bearing on the NHS in Scotland, and said a bold approach was needed that could develop new models for care delivery and better collaboration between the health professions.
It was endorsed by opposition health spokespeople. Labour’s Jenny Marra supported the call for a public debate, claiming that the NHS was being overwhelmed by demand. The Liberal Democrats’ Jim Hume blamed ‘eight years of inaction’ by the Scottish National Party Government for the failure of resources to keep pace with demand.
In a statement issued in response, Robison said: “We fundamentally agree with the proposition that we need to change and evolve our health and social care services to meet rising demand, tackle health inequalities and meet the challenges of an ageing population.”
But she said it was also important to keep sight of how much had already changed. “Substantial improvements under this government have led to historically low waiting times, large reductions in MRSA and C. Diff rates in our hospitals, and delivery of some of the most high-quality and safe healthcare anywhere in the world,” she said.
Interviewed by Holyrood magazine, she also defended her personal record in the post. “Challenges are there to be overcome. I’d like to think that within the short months I’ve been cabinet secretary that on delayed discharge we’ve managed to get in a position where we can see the tide turning.”
At Holyrood today, Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said sickness levels among NHS staff were running at a seven-year high, and urged First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to address staff shortages.
Sturgeon said Scottish ministers had protected, and would continue to protect, the NHS revenue budget, and that NHS workforce numbers in Scotland had risen by around 10,500 under the Scottish National Party.
“We will continue to ensure record funding for the health service and we will continue to ensure record staffing numbers in our health service,” she said.
