DESIGNED TO CARE

Renewing the National Health Service in Scotland

Preface by the Prime Minister

Creating the NHS was the greatest act of modernisation ever achieved by a Labour Government. It banished the fear of becoming ill that had for years blighted the lives of millions of people. But I know that one of the main reasons people elected a new Labour Government on May 1 was their concern that the NHS was failing them and their families. In my contract with the people of Britain I promised that we would rebuild the NHS. We have already made a start. The Government is putting an extra £124 million into the health service in Scotland during the course of this year and next. More money is going into improving family doctor and hospital services. The NHS will get better every year so that it once again delivers dependable, high quality care - based on need not ability to pay.

This White Paper marks a turning point for the NHS in Scotland. It replaces the internal market. We are saving £100 million of red tape and putting that money into frontline patient care in Scotland. For the first time the need to ensure that high quality care is spread throughout the service will be taken seriously. Nationwide standards of care will be guaranteed. There will be easier and swifter access to the NHS when you need it. Our approach combines efficiency and quality with a belief in fairness and partnership.

As we approach the fiftieth anniversary of the NHS in Scotland, it is time to reflect on its huge achievements. But in a changing world, no organisation however great, can stand still. The NHS needs to modernise in order to meet the demands of todayÕs public. Designed to Care begins the process of modernisation in Scotland. The NHS in Scotland will start to provide new and better services to the public. For example, a nurse-led help line to provide local information round the clock. New technology that links GPsÕ surgeries to any specialist centre in the country.

In short, I want the NHS in Scotland to take a big step forward and become a modern and dependable service that is once more the envy of the world.

Of course we must get the funding right. The Government have already put large extra sums into the NHS and will raise spending in real terms every year. But with that money comes a responsibility within the service to change. To produce better care. Care when you need it. Care of uniformly high standards.

It is a big challenge but I am confident that with the support of the public, the dedication of NHS staff and the backing of the Government we can again create an NHS in Scotland that is Designed to Care, an NHS that is truly a beacon to the world.