Look to Scotland for NHS reforms that work

2015 has started with a crisis in the NHS, with politicians of all sides claiming they have the solution. Instead of looking at promises, it would be better to consider the effectiveness of Scotland's Community Health Partnerships established by the NHS Reform (Scotland) Act 2004. In contrast to the chaotic and wasteful reorganisation of the NHS in England & Wales, Scotland implemented a geographic based reorganisation, focusing on a Region not a budget head. An important reform was the transfer of Adult Care services from Local Government to the NHS, delivering for the first time a single organisation offering care, be it in hospital or the home. Repeated studies have demonstrated that investment in patient orientated adult care, delivers better health outcomes and costs less.

The NHS Scotland reforms were implemented by a Scottish Labour Government, and have been adopted by the SNP. In the 2010 General Election Labour committed to extend the proven success in Scotland to the whole of the UK with a manifesto commitment to create a National Care Service. That proposal was lost when Labour lost, instead we have the chaos unfolding today in the NHS. Yet it is a policy that would have delivered better health at lower cost.

There is no need to look at promises. Labour created the NHS, and are the only credible political party that can be entrusted with its future success.