NHS Scotland winter crisis: Staff 'are on their knees' warns doctors' union

The head of a doctor’s union has warned NHS staff “are on their knees”, as he called for “more funds need to be gathered and spent wisely” to save Scotland’s healthcare service.

The head of the BMA has said the NHS is "broken" in Scotland and will not be able to survive in its current form

Writing in the Scotsman today, Dr Iain Kennedy, chair of the British Medical Association (BMA) Scotland, said the nation needs to “face up to the hard truths that have been put off for far too long, and have a proper, grown-up, de-politicised national conversation about the future of our NHS in Scotland”.

“Sticking our heads in the sand, or exchanging tired political soundbites, just won’t cut it anymore,” writes Dr Kennedy.

“We put forward this idea in our BMA manifesto for the last Holyrood election, and support does seem to be growing.

“It’s clear we need to reflect on what we ask of our NHS and the levels of funding we, as a country, are prepared to provide to meet those asks. More funds need to be gathered and spent wisely.

“Despite additional investment, the current approach of pushing insufficient resources harder and harder, then blaming staff when expected standards are not reached has failed and is failing patients every single day.

“I know doctors are suffering significant moral injury as a result.”

Dr Kennedy has separately warned “there is no way that the NHS in Scotland can survive”.

“In fact, many of my members are telling me that the NHS in Scotland has died already,” Dr Kennedy told BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme.

“It’s already broken in some parts of the country. So the time is now, we need the national conversation now, it cannot be delayed any further.”

Dr Kennedy added: “Over the past two weeks I have received testimonies from nearly 200 doctors, and what they’re telling me is that the whole health and social care system in Scotland is broken.

“They are telling me that NHS Scotland is failing their patients and failing the workforce, and they’re suffering from moral injury from constantly having to apologise to their patients.”

Responding to Dr Kennedy’s remarks, a Scottish Conservative spokesperson said: “This stark message is a damning indictment of years of atrocious NHS workforce planning by a succession of SNP health secretaries, including Nicola Sturgeon herself.

“The First Minister’s decision to cut the number of funded training places for medical students at Scottish universities, when she was health secretary a decade ago, is a major factor in the staffing problems Dr Kennedy highlights.

“Scotland’s overstretched NHS is on its knees – with a shortfall of 6,000 nurses alone – and the SNP need to recruit and, crucially, retain staff if it’s to survive.

“The goodwill of dedicated frontline staff has been exhausted. They are shattered and have no faith in Humza Yousaf or his flimsy, failing Covid Recovery Plan to turn things around. If they are to stop leaving in their droves, the health secretary must be sacked now.”

Meanwhile, Scottish Labour’s health spokesperson Jackie Baillie said: “Years of SNP underfunding and mismanagement have pushed our NHS to breaking point.

“The fact is that the SNP government has failed to train enough medical professionals and has failed to retain those that we have.

“Under the SNP, the NHS is haemorrhaging staff.

“Scottish Labour would put staff training and retention at the heart of our plan to save the NHS.”

The BMA is now calling on the Scottish Government to “be brave and act now”

“Let’s harness the anger and frustration staff and patients feel to commit to working together to build a better future,” writes Dr Kennedy.

“Let’s stop putting healthcare workers in the impossible and insidious position of having to constantly apologise and be the bearers of bad news.

“Politicians on all sides must step up and start the process. It’s in their hands, and specifically the hands of the Scottish Government. With all the political attention on our NHS at the moment, I have no doubt they are listening. I also believe they do want to do the right thing.

“We need them to be brave and act now, by bringing us together and finally actually properly talking about a plan for a future NHS that is a joy to work in, and to be cared for by.

“It’s really difficult to find any optimism about the position our NHS in Scotland is in at the moment, particularly for healthcare workers in the service. But I believe if the Scottish Government commits to and indeed leads this national conversation, those out there doing all they can to provide the care we all rely on will at least finally feel they are being properly listened to.”

The Scottish Government has sought to blame NHS pressures on the coronavirus pandemic, Brexit, and winter viruses.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The situation we find ourselves in is the result of pandemic backlogs, Brexit-related staff shortages and increases in winter viruses such as flu which has seen a significant rise in the last few weeks – making this winter the most challenging the NHS has ever faced. This is of course not unique to Scotland.

“Scotland has record numbers of NHS staff and we are recruiting more staff as part of our £600m winter plan and £50m investment is targeting A&E waits through services that allow patients to be treated at home or in the community.

“We have a record number of GPs working in Scotland and are committed to 800 additional GPs by end 2027, and despite the pandemic, we have recruited 3,220 whole time equivalent healthcare professionals to provide support to GPs, underpinned by an investment commitment of over £500m.

“We know the difficulties staff are facing and want to repeat our thanks to all those working across all health and social care services this winter to make sure people receive the care they need.”

Dr Kennedy added: “All the statistics tell us that it’s a desperate state of affairs. Things are as bad, or worse, than they have ever been.

“Winter is a meaningless term now – this entire year has been winter. But looking beyond the statistics, looking at the people behind the statistics, the picture being painted is even more grim and concerning.

“The experiences my colleagues have shared speak louder than anything I could say, and anything any official stats could imply.”