The 'unacceptable' NHS Scotland building works delay as SNP Government in health pay talks

A much-anticipated announcement on which areas of Scotland are to receive new NHS infrastructure has been delayed again - with communities across Scotland crying out for new GP surgeries, hospitals and treatment centres. 

In February, all new NHS Scotland building projects were put on hold for up to two years as a result of budget pressures - affecting at least a dozen projects across the country. 

The Scottish Government at the time said it would announce a revised infrastructure plan in the spring - but has now indicated it won’t happen until the Scottish Budget is announced in December. 

In a letter to the Scottish Parliament's finance committee, the cabinet secretary for finance Shona Robison said: "To provide as much certainty as possible to parliament and wider stakeholders of our capital investment plans, I must wait until I have confirmed capital allocations from the new UK government".

The UK government is expected to provide an update on the state of Westmisnter’s finances in autumn.

A spokesperson for BMA Scotland said: “While there will be debates about funding and budgets that are available – both from the UK Government and managed by the Scottish Government – there is no doubt this shows again that our NHS simply doesn’t have the resources it needs, either in day to day spending or in terms of capital projects.

“Another key concern would be the backlog of maintenance and improvement required across the NHS estate in general practice and in our hospitals – which is already impacting on capacity and ability to deliver operations and effective care.

“It is clear we need to get on with the National Conversation on the future of healthcare in Scotland which has been promised by the Scottish Government and finally have that honest and open debate as a country about how we put our NHS on a sustainable footing for the longer term, what the level of resources required to do so are and how they are best spent.”

Scottish Conservative deputy health spokesperson, Tess White, said it is “unacceptable” that the SNP are “kicking the can down the road” by further delaying an announcement on when NHS building projects will go ahead.

“These hospitals, treatment centres and surgeries are desperately needed, and were promised by ministers to patients up and down Scotland,” said Ms White.

“This delay and uncertainty is down to SNP financial mismanagement, which has left a huge black hole in Scotland’s budget. The usual SNP tactic of trying to pin the blame on Westminster won’t wash when the Scottish Government has received record block grants.

“The SNP’s dire workforce planning has pushed our NHS to breaking point – and now patients are also paying the price for the nationalists’ financial incompetence.

“John Swinney and Neil Gray must urgently come clean on what they are planning, and when these new building projects will finally get the go-ahead.”

The Scottish Liberal Democrat MP for Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire, Angus MacDonald, said the SNP has “poured cold water on essential new NHS buildings all across Scotland”.

“As a result, long overdue projects are on hold including a replacement hospital in Fort William and the revamps of Caithness General and the maternity ward at Raigmore,” Mr MacDonald said. 

“We also desperately need urgent care services back open 24/7 at Portree Hospital. I’ll be contacting Kate Forbes to urge her to recognise the importance of finally getting these projects moving because they are critical to improving healthcare in the Highlands.

“During the election the Scottish Liberal Democrats published a fully costed manifesto that would have delivered £1bn extra a year to fix Scotland’s crumbling infrastructure. 

“We need proper investment in local hospitals and NHS equipment to bring down waiting lists and end long journeys for treatment.”

It comes as talks began in Edinburgh between the Scottish Government and unions over NHS staff pay.

A survey of NHS workers by GMB Scotland revealed its members want a one-year above-inflation pay deal, with 87 per cent of members polled saying they would be willing to take industrial action in order achieve this.

Ministers have proposed a three-year framework for public sector pay deals but the GMB survey, which polled 1,000 non-clinical NHS workers, reveals that 81 per cent want a one-year offer.

Last week, the UK Government signalled public sector workers, including teachers and nurses, in England and Wales, could expect an above inflation offer of 5.5 per cent this year.

Keir Greenaway, GMB Scotland senior organiser in public services, said the survey of members in the NHS revealed their determination to secure a simple offer that fairly recognises their work.

He said: “Our members have clearly indicated their overwhelming support for a one- year offer and willingness to take industrial action to secure a fair pay rise.

“An above inflation offer is crucial to begin closing the gulf between salary rises in the public and private sector.

“That gap must be narrowed and only negotiations delivering a fair and straightforward offer to NHS Scotland staff will do that.

“The apparent readiness of the Westminster government to promptly and fairly recognise the work of public sector staff elsewhere in the UK has not gone unnoticed by our members.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “As we have said consistently, due to significant increases in construction costs due to inflation, and a lower than expected capital grant from the UK Government, a capital review is currently underway.

“We plan to publish a revised Scottish Government infrastructure investment pipeline alongside the 2025-26 budget.”