POLITICS should be removed from the running of the NHS in Scotland, according to the president of a well respected medical college.
Professor Frank Dunn, president of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, has expressed concern that a "planning blight" stalls changes to the health service whenever parliamentary elections approach.
Patients, the public and staff are also confused as different political parties publicise contradictory information about how well the NHS is performing, he says in an article published in The Herald.
He calls on Scotland to lead the way by adopting a new approach where the NHS is run by an executive body including members of different political parties.
Professor Dunn, who was formerly a pioneering consultant cardiologist at Stobhill Hospital, collected a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List at the end of last year. He once raised questions about the plans to centralise hospital services in Glasgow which resulted in the downgrading of Stobhill and ultimately the recent shift into the new South Glasgow University Hospital.
However, in his article he expresses concern about the struggle health boards can face making changes when politicians fight to protect services in their own constituencies.
He says: "Politicians are very much aware that any suggestion that their local hospital might lose acute services can result in the loss of votes. Other plans - even when they are well thought through and have professional support - will be mothballed if there is any electoral risk. Therefore in every 4-5 year cycle there is a planning blight for a period of time in the run up to elections. This is a feature of all governing parties irrespective of their political allegiance."
He goes on to reveal that at a recent meeting of top surgeons from across the UK there was unanimous agreement that long term planning for the health service was problematic because of the occurrence of elections every four or five years and the potential for a change in government.
Professor Dunn suggests there is an alternative way forward which has some support - "setting up a health committee comprising representatives of the political parties and health advisers and chaired by the Government's Cabinet Secretary for Health." This, he says, would be the executive decision making body of the Scottish NHS.
He applauds recent Scottish Governments for taking the lead on other health fronts, and refers earlier in the article to the smoking ban and the bid to introduce minimum alcohol pricing. He concludes: "There is an opportunity to show that leadership again by taking politics out of healthcare and ensuring our health service is driven solely by delivering excellence in healthcare for patients."
Health Secretary Shona Robison said: "This is an interesting contribution to the debate on the future of the health service, and of course I am always happy to work with key stakeholders to hear their views. "The Scottish Government is committed to seeking a consensual approach to the health service's direction of travel wherever we can. By working together and pulling in the same direction we can achieve more. We all need to do everything we can to support the hardworking staff in our health service, who are providing high quality care every single day.
"Elected politicians have a role to play in the conversation on the future of health and social care, alongside medical professionals and members of the public. I am sure there will be many things that we can agree on that can be adopted on a cross-party basis."
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