NHS 75-year anniversary: Social care minister Maree Todd says everyone needs to think about paying 'little bit more' for the NHS in Scotland

Maree Todd marks the NHS’s 75th anniversary

Social care minister Maree Todd says everyone needs to think about paying “a little bit more” for the NHS, as the health service marks its 75th anniversary.

Ms Todd, who worked in the NHS for 20 years before entering politics, branded the health service a “remarkable institution” that holds a place in everyone’s hearts.

However, she said funding the NHS had been a “long-standing issue” and getting value for money from the public purse was always under scrutiny.

Social Care Minister Maree Todd. Image: Fraser Bremner.

The Caithness, Sutherland and Ross MSP said: “I think in many other countries around the world people are spending more money on health and we need to reflect on that and put more money into the NHS.

“We are constrained as most of the investment is led by the UK Government and the block grant is determined by the UK Government. But we have made real efforts in Scotland to do things differently and we are seeing the benefit.

“I think we are all going to need to think about paying a little bit more for the NHS. But we have a higher number of staff per head of population and better paid staff – they earn more than their counterparts in the rest of the UK, so there are tangible differences in the NHS in Scotland.”

Speaking to BBC Good Morning Scotland, Ms Todd said the Scottish Government was working hard to help the NHS recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

She was questioned on the escalating backlogs and long waiting lists being experienced in the NHS post-pandemic.

Ms Todd said: “The pandemic years were the toughest challenge we have ever faced, but we are coming out the other side and building back stronger than ever before.

“When the pandemic hit, it stopped everything and it will take some time to deal with that backlog.

“We are focusing on those with the longest waits and getting them seen as soon as possible and making sure they have good information to keep them comfortable while waiting for hospital care.”

Ms Todd said the Government was working “really hard” to try and avert strike action within Scotland’s NHS. But she said there were “strong contingency plans” in place in every health board.

However, the minister warned if strikes did happen, planned surgeries would be cancelled.