The Future of Health in Scotland – an open letter

The letter was written following meetings with a diverse group of committed senior figures in health. Together, the group is working to engage with politicians and decision-makers to deliver the change our health system urgently needs.

Working with Enlighten, the independent public policy institute, the group of 13 senior professionals and executives called on politicians to “reimagine” healthcare in Scotland.

In the letter, The Future of Health in Scotland, the group called for politicians to agree on a framework to engage in private, respectful discussions which allow long-term planning beyond normal electoral cycles. 

In the letter, the group says:

• The current system of delivering health care and social care in Scotland is unsustainable, often stretched beyond capacity, overly complicated, difficult to navigate, often inefficient, and is perceived as not always meeting need

• Health care is not the sole responsibility of the NHS. We need to look beyond the NHS to the broader determinants of health and prioritise prevention and health creation as a national imperative

• Transformation is beyond the capacity of any one political party, government, or group of stakeholders, who should not be expected to carry that burden alone.

• Spending more money will not solve all of the problems we face.

The group of signatories was brought together by John Sturrock KC, a leading mediator. Mr Sturrock said:

“It has been an enormous privilege for me to convene and facilitate informal conversations among those listed as signatories to this statement and a number of others, as we all wrestle with the complexities and challenges of improving health in Scotland.

“As a mediator, I have taken my inspiration from the Edinburgh Conversations of the 1980s which I was privileged to observe - and whose model for informal, candid, off-the-record discussions among British, Soviet and US participants about the most important issues of the day can serve as a useful practical guide for any group seeking to address difficult issues, such as the future of the nation’s health and social care.  

“Building trust and confidence is key to finding constructive solutions to what sometimes can feel like intractable problems. That is what our conversations seek to encourage”.

The letter has been signed by:

• Dr David Caesar, Emergency physician and Associate Medical Director 

• Dr Sarah Doyle, Chief Executive and Nurse Director, Queen’s Nursing Institute Scotland 

• Professor Andrew Elder, President, Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh

• Professor Liz Grant, Assistant Principal (Global Health) & Director of the Global Health Academy, University of Edinburgh

• Jane-Claire Judson, Chief Executive, Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland

• Dr Elizabeth Kelly, Former Chair, Improving Wellbeing and Working Cultures Strategic Board

• Dr Tamasin Knight, Consultant in Public Health Medicine  

• Dr Donald Macaskill, Chief Executive, Scottish Care

• Dr Alastair MacGilchrist, Chair, Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP)

• Tejesh Mistry, Chief Executive, Voluntary Health Scotland 

• Rami Okasha, Chief Executive, Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS)

• Professor Stephen Turner, former chair, Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and Faculties in Scotland

• Charlotte Waite, National Director, British Dental Association, Scotland.

You can find out more about this work, and our other influencing activities by clicking here to visit our website.