First Minister John Swinney has suggested that people in Scotland should not have to travel further for healthcare as part of government plans to reduce the number of health boards from 14 to two. Speaking to BBC Scotland's The Sunday Show, Mr Swinney said it would "not be my intention" for people to travel further, with initial modelling proposing the country be divided into two east and west health boards.
Mr Swinney stated he aims to maximise the number of healthcare services delivered locally, provided it can be done safely, to ensure "equity of access" regardless of where people live. He cited the example of maternity services in Caithness, noting that patient safety, rather than efficiency or cost, drives such decisions.
The plan to cut health boards was announced in Mr Swinney's programme for government earlier this week, which he described as the "most significant structural reform in the NHS in the era of devolution." Work on the proposal began last November, with the chief executives of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Lothian taking the lead. It has also been proposed that healthcare in the islands could be absorbed by local authorities, although no decisions have been made on this aspect.
When asked about potential NHS job losses, Mr Swinney said he could not provide a "specific figure" but acknowledged that public sector employment would fall. Concerns have been raised by patients and healthcare professionals regarding paediatric and maternity care in Scotland, with a nine-month review of maternity services scheduled to begin this autumn.