housing
The National Health Service
The Scottish Parliament should end private involvement in the NHS, particularly the outsourcing of appointments. Private involvement in the NHS is poor value for the taxpayer and exacerbates understaffing in the NHS by funding growth in the private sector.
Indeed, £18m was spent on outsourcing in Scotland in 2018-19 alone, but waiting times continue to grow, with more than 1 in 7 Scots on a waiting list. Furthermore, as well as being poor value for money, analysis by the Lancet found that outsourcing in England led to 557 additional deaths in 2014-22 due to lower quality care.
In addition, we must address the understaffing crisis within the NHS, with 1 in 7 staff looking to leave the Health Service, as BMA Scotland notes that staffing levels are “dangerously low” across the NHS. Instead of investing in the private sector through outsourcing, the Scottish Government must address the root cause of this understaffing - poor working conditions and wages. As such, the Scottish Government should look to address the underlying issues of underfunding and understaffing through public investment.
Public ownership of care
We should create a new Care Homes Authority to fund and monitor for quality, a rapid and extensive expansion of local authority-owned and operated care homes.
We should offer professional training for care home staff through the College network, with a nationally recognised diploma as a requirement for employment in all homes.
We should improve pay to care workers and refuse public funding to any private care home that does not pay a minimum rate of £15 per hour.