The Scottish Government will not "rip up" the founding principles of the NHS, Nicola Sturgeon said yesterday.

The first minister stated her government was "unequivocal" that it would not start charging people to access care.

It comes after documents seen by the BBC revealed NHS Scotland chiefs have discussed moving towards a "two-tier" system amid extreme pressure on the health service.

Ms Sturgeon said reform was needed, but ruled out a move towards privatisation.

Draft minutes of a meeting of NHS directors in September show they discussed having wealthy patients pay for treatment. They also raised the possibility of curtailing some free prescriptions.

Ms Sturgeon said calls for changes to the NHS model were not unusual.

"That's happened right throughout the history of the NHS and will always happen," she told the BBC.

Process of reform

The first minister said a "process of reform" is currently under way in Scotland - pointing to work to improve unscheduled care and early-intervention treatments to help relieve pressure on hospitals.

"Yes there are changes needed in the NHS," she added.

"But...are we going to start charging people for accessing care or are we going to rip up these founding principles? The emphatic, unequivocal answer is to that is no."

Last month, the BMA in Scotland said Scotland's NHS was in a "perilous situation" and urgent action was needed to tackle workload pressures.

Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said the reforms would be an attempt to "slowly privatise our NHS" and reiterated her calls for Health Secretary Humza Yousaf to resign.

"Across our country hospitals are overwhelmed, staff are demoralised and patients are being put in danger. It's time Mr Yousaf did the right thing and went."

Scottish Tory health spokesman Sandesh Gulhane said the BBC report was "deeply alarming", and also called for the health secretary's removal.

Privatisation

"Despite Humza Yousaf's protestations, the privatisation of Scotland's NHS seems to be under active consideration by the SNP," he added.

"This is outrageous. Healthcare must remain free at the point of use for everyone."

Iain Kennedy, who chairs BMA Scotland, said his organisation was committed to maintaining the founding principles of the NHS.

He added: "However it is beyond doubt that, in order to avoid sleepwalking into the two-tier system that threatens this fundamental principle of free healthcare we rightly hold so dear, we need a proper, open conversation about the NHS and how we make it sustainable now, and for generations to come.

"Healthcare workers cannot do any more than they are currently doing - we need to be honest that the entire workforce is on its knees. NHS boards have a nigh-on-impossible task in making the budgets provided deliver everything that is being asked by the Scottish Government.

  • There are expected to be fresh talks today to try to avert a strike by NHS staff in Scotland.

The health secretary Humza Yousaf is believed to be meeting health unions.

It's thought the Scottish Government is prepared to divert more money from elsewhere in this year's budget to improve the current offer - without making a further raid on NHS spending.

Health unions are threatening a walk-out before Christmas unless the existing pay offer is improved.

More like this…

View all