Breaking:Swinney pledges to tackle GP… read more
Scottish First Minister John Swinney has pledged to prioritize the National Health Service (NHS) in his government’s legislative plans for the final year of the current Scottish parliamentary term. Swinney, who recently took on the role of First Minister, brought forward the Programme for Government by several months to ensure a full year of policy implementation before the Holyrood elections in May 2026.
In a key speech scheduled for Tuesday, Swinney is expected to promise improvements to GP appointment systems, specifically targeting the so-called “8am lottery”—a term used to describe the difficulty many patients face in securing timely appointments when phone lines open early in the morning. The First Minister acknowledged that while many people report positive experiences with their general practitioners, others are deeply frustrated with access issues. To address this, Swinney committed to expanding capacity in the healthcare system, aiming to make it easier for individuals to receive care promptly.
This initiative is part of a broader strategy to strengthen public services and meet the evolving needs of the Scottish population. Swinney highlighted that the NHS would be a central focus of his administration, underlining its importance in ensuring public trust and wellbeing.
Alongside health services, Swinney emphasized tackling child poverty and addressing the cost-of-living crisis as key priorities. Although recent figures indicated the government failed to meet its statutory child poverty reduction targets, the First Minister pointed to progress being made. He cited initiatives such as the Scottish Child Payment, enhanced investments in housing, and increased support for early learning and childcare as evidence of positive momentum.
During a visit to Newfield Medical Group in Dundee ahead of his speech, Swinney reiterated his commitment to practical action. He described the upcoming Programme for Government as a blueprint to realign the NHS and other critical services with public needs.
However, opposition parties voiced skepticism about Swinney’s ability to deliver meaningful change. The Scottish Conservatives urged Swinney to distance himself from what they called the SNP’s “fringe obsessions” and instead concentrate on mainstream concerns like road repairs, classroom discipline, reducing NHS waiting times, and lowering taxes. Deputy leader Rachael Hamilton specifically called for the SNP to abandon its focus on gender self-identification policies.
Scottish Labour, meanwhile, criticized Swinney for continuing what it called a legacy of failure under the SNP. Party leader Anas Sarwar accused the government of repeatedly making and abandoning ambitious pledges, failing to deliver on key issues ranging from healthcare to education and environmental policy.
Further controversy arose with the announcement that planned legislation to criminalize misogyny would be delayed. Ministers explained that more time is needed to ensure any new law complies with recent Supreme Court guidance. Instead, existing hate crime laws will be amended to better protect individuals based on sex.
Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie expressed disappointment over the shelving of both the misogyny legislation and plans to ban conversion therapy. He urged Swinney to adopt a more ambitious agenda centered on reducing poverty and addressing the climate crisis.
Despite criticism, Swinney has vowed to keep the focus on people’s everyday concerns and to restore public confidence in the government’s ability to deliver.
