Scotland’s NHS is set for a major overhaul as the Scottish Government unveils a new Operational Improvement Plan designed to cut waiting times and modernise patient care.
Health Secretary Neil Gray has promised faster treatment and easier access to services by shifting more care into communities and out of hospitals.
An extra £200 million will support this transformation, creating 150,000 additional appointments and procedures through smarter use of national and regional collaboration.
A seven-day radiology service is on the cards, backed by mobile scanning units and more staff to ensure 95% of referrals are seen within six weeks by March 2026.
This move will slash backlogs for crucial tests like MRI, CT, ultrasound and endoscopy.
Scotland’s “Hospital at Home” programme will expand to 2,000 virtual beds by the end of 2026, delivering full hospital care without patients needing to leave their homes.
This service will become Scotland’s largest hospital in scale, showing a major shift towards more personalised and localised care.
Specialist frailty teams will be introduced in every A&E department across Scotland by this summer.
Flow Navigation Centres will also be expanded, guiding patients to the right care and helping to ease pressure on emergency departments.
Primary care is getting a boost too, with more funding to make it simpler to see GPs, dentists, optometrists and pharmacists.
An extra £10.5 million will go into general practice, with targeted efforts to prevent heart disease and frailty before they become critical issues.
Digital innovation is at the heart of the plan, with the new “Digital Front Door” app set to launch in Lanarkshire this December.
This app will eventually roll out nationally by 2026, offering patients secure access to appointments, health messages and local service information.
It will grow to include social care and community health tools, aiming to give people more control and clarity over their care.
Neil Gray, speaking during a visit to Kirklands Hospital’s Flow Navigation Centre, called the plan both ambitious and achievable.
He emphasised that the changes will deliver a more accessible and efficient NHS for everyone in Scotland.
The plan sets out how the £21.7 billion health and social care budget for 2025-26 will be used to bring real improvements across the board.
Faster appointments, better digital tools and more care at home are all part of a modern NHS that works for patients, not just systems.
Gray praised the ongoing dedication of NHS and social care staff and said the new strategy builds on their hard work to bring meaningful change.
Scotland’s NHS is evolving, and this blueprint marks a bold step towards a faster, fairer and more connected healthcare future.
