Chair of BMA Scotland Council Dr Iain Kennedy’s speech to ARM 20245 in full:
Thank you Chair, and Good Morning RB.
It is a great honour to be back at the ARM to update you on what has been quite a year in Scotland.
And I want to draw upon two key themes.
First, the huge risk of both the Scottish Government and the GMC undervaluing the medical profession in Scotland.
And secondly, securing a sustainable future for Scotland’s NHS.
Both – of course – are linked, and to be absolutely clear, the only path to a better future for our NHS is through properly valuing our medical workforce.
At BMA Scotland, promoting the value of doctors is the thread running through everything we do. That starts and ends with doctors’ pay. It also means supporting our medical students, the doctors of the future.
Last year, I shared my admiration for our resident doctors’ team as they stood on the verge of strike action.
But, through collective strength and perseverance, and a comprehensive rejection of a poor offer from the Scottish Government, a credible agreement was reached, putting them on the path to pay restoration.
But almost a year on, our government has yet to deliver on its promises. As Dr Chris Smith – our SJDC chair has said, any step back from the agreed deal will be an egregious breach of trust and will put us back on the path towards industrial action.
Scotland’s consultant and SAS doctors are also frustrated and disillusioned. Our consultants feel devalued, hit by the double whammy of what may soon be the lowest pay in Britain and the highest taxes.
This cannot continue.
BMA Scotland’s own research shows consultant vacancy rates at more than 15% – twice the government’s figures.
Our politicians have been disingenuous about vacancy rates, and with their claim that Scottish consultants are still the highest paid in Britain.
The position is equally dire for Scotland’s GPs.
Funding streams have been cut and paused. GP workload has spiralled out of control and the government is nowhere near its target of 800 more GPs by 2027.
If our government genuinely believes that GPs are the foundation of our NHS, then the crumbling state of primary care confirms we are on the brink of collapse.
We need substantial investment directly into our GP practices – and we need it now.
Of course, valuing doctors isn’t just about pay – it’s also about recognising that our unique skills are irreplaceable.
This is why so many doctors have raised serious patient safety concerns about the deployment of MAPs in Scotland.
My members are concerned about role creep, and the dangerous blurring of lines between doctors and these far less qualified staff.
And let me be crystal clear, doctors and only doctors have earned the right to be called “the medical profession”.
Looking at pay and MAPs together, it is obvious that doctors in Scotland remain substantially undervalued and, for some, viewed as replaceable.
RB – at BMA Scotland we will always stand up for doctors’ true value.
You will be aware, RB – that Scotland’s NHS is in a state of permanent crisis. Winter pressures are here 365 days a year.
Since my last ARM speech and the end of April this year, over 58 thousand patients have waited more than 12 hours in a Scottish A&E department – that’s 24 times greater than 5 years ago.
This massive deterioration in performance is completely outwith the control of our doctors who work tirelessly in traumatic circumstances.
And these figures are a warning light that the whole health and social care system is not coping with the demand.
Long waits are forcing those who can afford it, to go private. A two-tier health service in Scotland is now beyond question.
…If you can stump up the cash, then you can get the care you need.
But we all value an NHS free at the point of use.
Yet, Scotland is sleepwalking into sacrificing this principle, threatening the very existence of the national health service as we know it.
The only way to address this is by having a proper, honest, national conversation: an idea widely supported across Scotland.
And while I welcome the Scottish Government’s plan for direct engagement with the public and stakeholders this year, it lacks both clarity and urgency.
So, today, I urge the Scottish Government to come forward now with a detailed plan to guarantee an inclusive national conversation, along with a plan to implement what it tells us.
If we are to emerge from Scotland’s NHS perma-crisis, we must properly invest in doctors, and support doctors to look after patients.
RB – The path to a sustainable future for Scotland’s NHS must be based on properly valuing doctors.
Thank you, RB.
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