David Knight: John Swinney’s two-board NHS gamble risks leaving patients behind |
John Swinney’s plan to turn the Scottish NHS into two mega health boards reminded me that the government does not have a great record of doing things in pairs.
After all, they have been failing miserably in trying to upgrade safety on two major roads in the Highlands and north-east for almost 20 years.
Dualling delays on the A96 and A9 between Inverness and Aberdeen/Perth are en route for a quarter of a century by the time of the next Scottish parliamentary elections.
So you might think if they can’t fix two roads, what chance is there of sorting out the NHS with two new health boards which replace all the rest?
Official medical advice states that holding your breath for too long can make you pass out or suffer organ failure – so don’t do it over this.
Don’t be negative, you might say, but uncertainty around the Swinney plan creates anxiety.
We all dream of the NHS suddenly getting off its sick bed and solving the waiting list crisis.
Apart from putting food on the table, getting health treatment when we need it is our next big thing for staying alive.
We’d love it to happen and we wish the first minister every success, but the devil is in the detail.
Adequate service on our doorsteps
Will........