Cole-Hamilton sets out plans to modernise the NHS and improve health

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has today used a campaign visit to his party’s key target seat of Strathkelvin & Bearsden to set out his party’s proposals to modernise the NHS, improve health and ensure that patients can get swift access to care.

Alex was joined by local candidate Adam Harley and former Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron. The party recently announced that it had knocked on over half of all the doors in the constituency since Christmas, making it one of the largest campaigns in the country.

The Scottish Liberal Democrat manifesto sets out a new long-term focus on prevention and helping people spend more years of their life in good health by:

• Harnessing the breakthroughs in weight loss medication. Where GPs agree it is the best solution for weight loss, we will offer access to these on the NHS, using the bargaining power of the NHS and increasing competition from weight-loss drugs in development.
• Ensuring people are on the right medicines, lessening the harm done to patients by unnecessary prescriptions and tackling medicines waste.
• Supporting the expansion of social prescribing and investment in community projects that bring people together to combat loneliness.
• Protecting the free eye tests and dental checks introduced by the Scottish Liberal Democrats.
• Boosting cancer survival rates by detecting and treating it early, including through a new lunch cancer screening programme that will save hundreds of lives a year.
• Harnessing the benefits of new technology and digital tools for staff and patients by giving patients more information on when they could be seen and the length of the queue for treatment, publishing an AI action plan that will underpin its safe, smart and efficient deployment across the NHS and rolling out a comprehensive NHS App, making up for years of SNP delay and failure.

Mr Cole-Hamilton said:

“Our NHS used to be the envy of the world. But now, under the SNP, too many people can’t get the care they need and patient safety is being pushed into the danger zone. The brilliant frontline staff we rely on are exhausted and burnt out.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats believe that people should get the care they need, when they need, where they need it. Instead of firefighting crisis after crisis, we will act now to save taxpayers’ money in the long run.

“Our plan tackles the crisis at both the front door and the back door of the NHS: strengthening public health and community services so fewer people need costly hospital treatment, and fixing social care.

“Scotland deserves better. That’s why we have a realistic plan to get things done. You can back that plan by giving us your vote on your peach regional ballot paper.”