Why SNP need to be as brave as Keir Starmer if NHS is to be saved

Unlike Elon Musk, Keir Starmer did not brandish a chainsaw to underline his commitment to reducing bureaucracy – but he might as well have done. His decision to scrap NHS England and return the health service south of the Border to democratic control is a bold and dramatic step.

If it works, it should release large amounts of money that can be spent on improving the health service after years of decline. It does, however, present a potential danger for Labour as, if things go badly, Starmer and Health Secretary Wes Streeting will be the only ones to blame.

While the health service is structured differently in Scotland, it is clear that similarly bold steps are needed to reduce the number of bureaucrats and increase the number of doctors and nurses.

Keir Starmer delivers a speech on his plans to reform the civil service and the NHS during a visit to Hull (Picture: Oli Scarff-WPA pool) | Getty Images

‘Strikingly similar’ failings in Scotland’s NHS

Speaking last month, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar pledged to do just that with “the biggest reform of the NHS in decades”. He said he would reduce the number of health boards – as this would mean "fewer chief executives and more doctors" – and even set up "our own Department of Government Efficiency", referencing the US body led by Musk. There is nothing left or right-wing about 'government efficiency'.

Speaking after Starmer’s announcement, Scottish Labour MP Dr Zubir Ahmed, who still works as a doctor, said “the failings are strikingly similar” in the NHS in Scotland and England, but added: “The difference is we are gripping the issue in Westminster while the SNP manage decline in Holyrood.”

In recent years, the SNP have been displaying an overly cautious approach to managing public services, shying away from making tough but necessary decisions like the one Starmer has just taken.

Scotland has a single national police force but 14 regional health boards. Reducing that number would save money that could be used to bolster frontline services which are, in many cases, not fit for purpose despite the best efforts of hard-pressed and hard-working staff.

So will the SNP be brave enough to act? Or will they simply sit tight, paralysed by fear of rocking the boat, and hope that enough people fail to notice that the NHS is sinking?