The Scottish National Party has called for an increase in the amount of NHS money spent per head from the next UK Government.
The SNP is demanding the Government commits to £136 more per person for the NHS – equalling the same level of investment per head the Scottish Government spends on the NHS.
The party said this would also result in more funding for the NHS in Scotland, which receives a share of the UK budget – bringing total investment to more than £17 billion by 2024/25.
The SNP Scottish Government has increased NHS spending over the last decade, resulting in 6.3% higher funding per patient in Scotland, equating to millions of extra investment in frontline services.
The party’s manifesto said it wants the next Government to ‘close this spending gap’.
Other pledges include:
- a proposal for a new NHS Protection Act to ensure trade deals will not ‘undermine’ the founding principles of the NHS;
- the devolution of drug policy to tackle addiction and drug-related deaths and reduce health risks
SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon said: ‘This election really matters – the future of Scotland is on the line. The opportunities for this and future generations are at stake. The kind of country we want to be is on the ballot paper.’
She added: ‘In an independent Scotland we will always get the governments we vote for. The NHS will always be protected from a Tory-Trump trade deal.’
Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth recently told Pulse that Labour must convince medical graduates that general practice is an ‘exciting profession’ in a bid to tackle the workforce crisis.
Meanwhile, health secretary Matt Hancock said in an exclusive interview that networks have been perceived ‘incredibly well’ in reducing workload.
