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| Designed to Care - Renewing the National
Health Service in Scotland Executive Summary |
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| 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. |
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| 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 today’s 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 GPs’ 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.
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