Support for the “vital and precious” institution of the NHS will be at the heart of the upcoming Scottish Budget, John Swinney has said. The First Minister visited Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert where he met staff and toured the ambulatory care centre. He said the NHS will be “right at the heart” of the Scottish Budget, which will be published by Finance Secretary Shona Robison on Wednesday. Report by Covellm. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
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00:00It's really important that we continue to sustain investment in the National Health
00:07Service. The National Health Service is an absolutely precious facility and institution
00:12in all of our lives and it's important that we continue to build on the recovery from
00:18Covid. Covid was enormously disruptive to the operation of the National Health Service
00:22and I want to make sure that the Health Service is able to deliver on the needs and the expectations
00:28of the people of Scotland and that will be reflected in the Government's approach to
00:31the budget. And what we've got to make sure is that we sustain the investment both in
00:35the day-to-day expenditure on the National Health Service in relation to staffing and
00:39of course we've increased staffing in the National Health Service over the lifetime
00:43of this Government, but that we also invest in the facilities of the National Health Service
00:47so that we have the technology and the environment and the facilities that will enable us to
00:52treat more patients. And that will be the focus of the plans that the Government is
00:57taking forward, the reforms that were undertaken to maximise productivity in the National Health
01:02Service and to make sure that the needs of patients are met. For me there's an absolutely
01:06fundamental principle about the National Health Service which is that people's health needs
01:11must be available to be resolved at the time of their need and without any cost to those
01:17individuals. That is the whole principle of the National Health Service and that is one
01:22that I cherish and that I will remain absolutely committed to and will deliver against.