Scots support more private involvement in NHS, polling finds

Half of Scots want private providers to have a bigger role in the health service, according to new polling.

Work by the Diffley Partnership found that 93 per cent of people believe change is need in the NHS.

Around nine in 10 (88 per cent) think the service should remain free at the point of use.

Yet half said they would use, and would like a bigger role for private providers.

And just one in eight people said they were “strongly opposed” to that.

The findings come from a survey of more than 1000 adults carried out earlier this month and come from research commissioned ahead of a conference taking place in Edinburgh today.

Hosted by heath charity Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland and the Enlighten think tank – formerly known as Reform Scotland – the event at the at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE) will include contributions from health secretary Neil Gray, Auditor General Stephen Boyle, and others.

The polling also found 88 per cent in favour of support for the reform of social care.

And there was overall pessimism about the future of services, with 77 per cent expecting that the NHS will be in a worse state in a decade’s time.

More than a quarter of respondents (28 per cent) said taxpayers should be asked to pay more to fund services. 

Chris Deerin of Enlighten, which counts former first minister Jack McConnell as the chair of its board of trustees, said members of the public “accept that the status quo is not an option”.

Jane-Claire Judson, chief executive of Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, said she was unsurprised by the results of the polling, commenting: “The NHS itself is not irreparable; what’s unsustainable is our inability to create and implement the change needed to tackle current challenges.

“Real change must be rooted in humility and courage from Scotland’s political leaders and must be driven by the lived experiences of those who rely on our services. Today’s conference is a chance to reset the conversation towards commitments of meaningful change.”

Professor Andrew Elder, RCPE president, said: “The college recognises that under the current funding envelope, it is not possible to continue providing everything that modern healthcare can now offer from cradle to grave. 

“There must be a conversation about whether public funding can be increased. Or, if it cannot be, the conversation must move to how we make reasoned decisions about what can – and cannot – be provided via the public purse. 

“Policy makers cannot continue to pretend that the NHS can do everything for everybody all of the time, with no change in funding. This would only let down patients. A national conversation on the future sustainability of health and care services is urgently needed, as the pressures on these services are relentless.  

“I look forward to hearing from the politicians on our political panel about how they intend to lead or contribute to the national conversation – with input from the public and healthcare community – and how they will collaborate to ensure that reform of health and social care is delivered for people in Scotland.”