In Rutherglen, MSP Clare Haughey is urging political rivals to support the Scottish Government’s Budget, specifically to ensure increased funding for the NHS. The Scottish National Party (SNP) recently announced plans to allocate over £1.7 billion to frontline services provided by NHS Lanarkshire as part of a total health and social care budget of £21 billion. This boost in funding includes nearly £2 billion for frontline NHS boards, with NHS Lanarkshire set to receive an additional £224 million.
Haughey emphasised that this funding increase will lead to improved access to GP appointments, enhanced A&E services, and better overall care for the people of Scotland. The budget also includes an extra £200 million dedicated to reducing waiting lists and enhancing capacity, potentially resulting in the treatment of over 150,000 additional patients. Furthermore, the increased funding will support the creation of more dental training positions, the hiring of specialist long Covid nurses, and the expansion of community-based mental health services for teenagers.
The MSP highlighted the significance of supporting the budget to drive investments in various essential areas such as GPs, dentistry, long Covid treatment, mental health services for youth, and hospital infrastructure. Haughey pointed out the contrast with the UK Labour Government’s actions of increasing National Insurance Contributions for the NHS and potentially promoting further privatisation, reaffirming the SNP’s commitment to supporting the health service.
Clare Haughey urged all MSPs from different parties to unite in supporting the Scottish Budget to secure record levels of funding for frontline services. By backing the budget, political rivals can demonstrate their support for the NHS and contribute to the delivery of crucial healthcare services to the people of Scotland.