Scotland's NHS has what it takes

Speaking at the SNP’s 75th Annual conference in Inverness today (Sunday) at the Eden Court Theatre, the Deputy First Minister for Scotland, Cabinet Secretary for Health and SNP Depute Leader, Nicola Sturgeon MSP, said:
 
"Fellow nationalists, we came here to Inverness this week with a real spring in our step.

"This has been a fantastic conference.

"And hasn’t it been great to be back in the capital of the Highlands.

"It’s no wonder that we are full of confidence and optimism.

"More than two years into the first term of the first SNP government in history, our bond of trust with the Scottish people is strong.

"Since we last met in the spring we’ve won the European elections, beating Labour hands down.

"The polls say we are Scotland’s choice to win the next Holyrood election.

"And for the first time ever, we have a consistent poll lead for the Westminster election as well.

"You know, as I look ahead to the Westminster contest next year, I can do no better than quote a former Labour leader - “bring it on”.

"And, delegates, we have the chance in just a few weeks to get our General Election campaign off to a flying start by winning the Glasgow North East by-election and ending, once and for all, 74 years of Labour arrogance, complacency and neglect.

"David Kerr is an outstanding candidate. So let us all resolve today to get out there and campaign hard to make him the next MP for Glasgow North East.

"Delegates, our government is popular because we work every single day to protect Scotland’s interests.

"The recession has hit the country hard.

"In tough times it is more important than ever that people across Scotland, their families, businesses and communities have a government firmly on their side.

"A government that’s got what it takes to lead our country to a brighter future.

"And, delegates, we have shown that we – the SNP - are that government.

"We’ve made a real difference to people’s lives right across Scotland.

"We’ve abolished business rates for tens of thousands of small businesses, saving jobs on every high street the length and breadth of the country.

"That’s down to our SNP government and the difference we’ve made.

"We’ve funded a freeze on the council tax, last year, this year and next year, providing real help to pensioners and hard-pressed families across Scotland.
 
"And we’ve abolished university tuition fees. Scotland once again has education based on the ability to learn not on the ability to pay.

"Yes, delegates, we have made a difference. A big difference.

"In fact, we’ve done more – much more - in just two years than Labour and the Liberals managed in eight.

"It is our government that, step by step, is delivering on the issues that matter and taking the tough decisions.

"And there have been difficult decisions.

"There is no Minister who has faced a tougher call than Kenny MacAskill.

"His decision to release the Lockerbie bomber on compassionate grounds will long be debated.

"But I think Kenny MacAskill did the right thing for the right reasons.

"And he proved that he is the right Justice Secretary for Scotland.

"Delegates, the past year has seen our government work hard to help our fellow Scots cope with the effects of the downturn.

"Nowhere has that mattered more than in our support for new, affordable housing.

"Our record investment in housing has protected jobs.

"And it has delivered record numbers of houses.

"I am proud to tell you that last year we built nearly 5000 new houses – that is the highest number achieved by any government in Scotland for 15 years.

"And our investment in council house building will ensure that 1,300 council houses are started this year in councils right across Scotland.

"That’s the first central government funding for council house building in 30 years.

"What a contrast between an SNP government making things happen and a Labour executive that was just marking time.

"Delegates, we have a record on housing to be proud of.

"And that record has not only achieved more housing. It has also delivered support to the construction industry in difficult times.

"But that will all be under threat unless the Chancellor allows us to bring forward more capital spending for housing next year.

"So, let us today, from this conference, demand that the Chancellor does the right thing and allows our government to keep investing in Scotland’s housing.

"Delegates, home ownership is an aspiration this government supports. Our investment in shared equity is helping more than 1500 people get a foot on the housing ladder.

"But we also have a responsibility to provide homes for those who can’t afford to buy.

"The credit crunch and the recession have reminded us just how important that is.

"We’re building record numbers of houses, but our ambition to substantially increase the supply of homes for rent will be frustrated if we then sell them off under the right to buy.

"That is why I believe that the right to buy has had its day.

"When we were elected, we promised that we would protect the rights of existing tenants. And we will.

"We also said we would abolish the right to buy for tenants of new build social housing. And we will.

"But I can announce today that we will go further. We will bring forward proposals to abolish the right to buy for all new tenants.

"Over the next decade, these proposals will safeguard up to 18,000 houses, providing homes for rent for those who need them most.

"Real action from a government building for Scotland’s future.

"Delegates, there is not much evidence of the UK parties doing what is right for Scotland.

"We all know that the next few years will be hard.

"Labour has made an almighty mess of the public finances and they now want ordinary folk to pay the price for their failure. And the Tories are just the same.

"Labour and Tories. The Tweedledum and Tweedledee of the politics of failure, vying with each other over how much they will cut public services.

"Labour has started already. Next year, the Scottish budget faces the first real terms cut in spending in the history of the Scottish Parliament.

"That’s Labour’s legacy to Scotland and they should hang their heads in shame.

"As Scotland’s government, we have no choice but to find the best way to deal with these cuts. And we will.

"But the job of a progressive government is not to boast about how savagely it can wield the axe.

"Our job in tough times is to work even harder to protect what really matters to people in Scotland.

"And make no mistake, the choices a government makes when money is tight tells you much more about its values than the choices made when money is plentiful.

"So the budget that our SNP government has put forward for next year makes clear our priorities.

"I am proud of the choices we have made.

"Delegates, I am proud that we have made the positive choice to protect the National Health Service.

"I am proud that we have chosen to increase spending on education.

"And, delegates, I am even more proud that we – the SNP - will improve schools for 130,000 of the pupils left to languish by Labour in substandard school buildings.

"These are the priorities of a government firmly on Scotland’s side.

"But as the full consequences of Westminster economic mismanagement come home to roost, we will have to work even harder to protect the things that matter most.

"Our government will defend the NHS, but we know that big increases in spending are, for now, a thing of the past. That’s why it is so important that we make the budget go further. It’s why we must make sure that every penny possible gets to the frontline.

"When it comes to efficiency savings the NHS in Scotland has a good record to build on.

"Last year the NHS was asked to make savings of 2% amounting to £215 million.

"I can reveal today that the NHS not only met that target, it exceeded it.

"Last year, the NHS delivered savings of nearly £300 million.

"And, delegates, thanks to this SNP government every single penny was reinvested in frontline services.

"That’s why, with the SNP, we now have record numbers of doctors, nurses, midwives and dentists.

"It’s why we are investing more in life saving cancer services.

"And it’s why, with the SNP, we have more NHS cleaners to help us in the battle against hospital infections.

"So delegates, I make no apology for continuing the efficiency drive. This year and next, the NHS will be asked to yet again meet challenging savings targets.

"But in return, I make this pledge – in future, just as in the past every penny saved will be invested in frontline care.

"That is my compact with the NHS, ensuring that even in tough times, we go on delivering real improvements for patients across Scotland.

"Delegates, let me promise this too. Our government will invest taxpayers’ money always to build up NHS services not to build up the private health sector.

"I am proud that this government – our government – has stopped in its tracks the Labour privatisation of our NHS.

"We have already shown our commitment to funding new hospitals with public capital, not through the daylight robbery of PFI.

"And we have put an end to the privatisation of hospital cleaning contracts.

"Today, I can announce another step towards a truly publicly funded and publicly delivered NHS.

"In 2006, Labour contracted with a private company to provide a regional treatment centre at Stracathro hospital in Angus.

"The private sector provides the service but the NHS pays for it - which means of course that the NHS pays not just for the service provided but for the profit margin as well.

"Delegates, this government will continue to invest £5m a year to secure the future of the Stracathro Regional Treatment Centre.

"But from now on we’ll do so with one very important difference.

"From January, the service will be delivered in and by the National Health Service.

"Stracathro is coming home to the NHS.

"Delegates, let me make one more pledge about healthcare in Scotland. 

"I pledge not to listen to the calls from the Tories and Labour to restore the tax on ill health. It’s hard to believe, I know, but Labour and the Tories want us not just to stop reducing prescription charges - they want us to put the charges back up to £7.20.

"Well, let me make it very clear - hitting the 600,000 people on low incomes and the many thousands more with long term conditions who have benefited from lower prescription charges might be the Labour and Tory way of dealing with tight finances.

"But it is not our government’s way.

"We will reduce prescription charges to £3.00 next year and this SNP government will abolish them completely in April 2011.

"Delegates, I am passionate about our NHS and I am very proud of those who work in it.

"I have never been more proud of them than in the last few months as they’ve dealt with the swine flu pandemic.

"Let me put on record my thanks to all of the frontline and management staff, to all those working behind the scenes in our labs and records departments, to our public health and health protection teams, indeed to everyone in the NHS.

"You do a magnificent job. We all owe you a big debt of gratitude.

"Of course, the threat of swine flu is not yet behind us – it almost certainly has even bigger challenges in store.

"We don’t know for sure what will happen over the winter.

"We do know that for the overwhelming majority of people, swine flu is mild.

"But still we can’t be complacent.

"We’ve seen already that for some swine flu leads to very serious and even fatal illness.

"It hits younger and, sometimes, otherwise healthy people harder than normal seasonal flu.

"Last week in Scotland 12, 500 people contracted the virus. And, tragically, we saw a 50% increase in the number of people who died from it.

"So we must continue to prepare.

"We have put in place plans to double critical care capacity, to help our NHS cope with what will be its toughest winter in many years.

"But prevention is better than cure.

"And that is why our best defence will be vaccination.

"Our vaccination programme will begin on Wednesday. It will take time to complete but by the end of this year, we will have offered vaccine to 1.3 million Scots, including frontline health staff and those most at risk of complications.

"Now I know that some people worry about vaccines. I know that there are those who think vaccination is not necessary.
 
"But make no mistake, swine flu can kill and this vaccine will save lives.

"So today I encourage everyone in Scotland who over the next few weeks is offered this vaccine to take up the opportunity.

"If you are pregnant, if you have asthma, if you have heart problems, if you live with someone being treated for cancer, if you do a job that’s vital to the NHS, if you are in any of the priority groups, I urge you to get vaccinated.

"You will be protecting yourself. You will be protecting those close to you. And you will be helping the NHS protect all of us.

"Delegates, over these past two years, we have demonstrated our ability to govern in Scotland’s interests.

"Every power and every pound available to us has been used to build up our public services and protect jobs.

"But these last two years have also been a stark reminder that for Scotland to realise her full potential, we need the full powers of independence.

"And let me say this: never before has the case for Scotland to take responsibility not just for some, but for all of our own decisions been more compelling; never before has the case for independence been stronger than it is right now.

"Scotland needs independence.

"We know that while Westminster holds the purse strings Scotland will always be shortchanged.

"And we know that while we let Westminster do our talking on the international stage, our voice will not be heard.

"The decision by the UK government to lock us out of the climate change summit in Copenhagen is nothing short of outrageous.

"And the conspiracy of the unionist parties to deny the people of Scotland the right to choose our own future in a democratic referendum is shameful.

"Delegates, that is why the General Election next year is so important.

"It is an opportunity that we must grasp with both hands. An opportunity to make Scotland’s voice heard. An opportunity to make Westminster sit up and take notice.

"I predict – in fact I guarantee – that we’ll be hearing a lot of the old Labour line that we’ve heard so often before, that only they can beat the Tories.

"Well, like so many of you, I grew up in the dark days of Thatcherism. I know the damage the Tories did to Scotland.

"But I also know that Labour held the majority of Scottish seats throughout all of these long years. Who could ever forget the feeble 50?

"These Labour MPs did absolutely nothing to stop the Tory assault on Scotland.

"So we’ll take no lessons from Labour on protecting Scotland from the Tories.

"And we’ll not lose sight of this fact either: it’s not just the Tories who pose a threat to Scotland.

"Labour does too.

"Just like the Tories, Labour will cut spending on vital Scottish services.

"And just like the Tories, Labour wants to spend billions putting new Trident nuclear weapons on the Clyde.

"Delegates, Scotland can help to stop this nuclear madness.

"May 2010 is, as we know, the likely date of the General Election. But it’s an important date for another reason. In May next year, the UN will host a conference to review the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

"What better time to send a message. To send this message loudly and clearly - Scotland does not want Trident on the River Clyde.

"Delegates, Labour and the Tories won’t want to talk about Trident at this election.

"It will be up to us to make sure there is no cosy conspiracy of silence on this vital issue.

"There must be in this election a strong, loud, authentic voice for nuclear disarmament. And that voice must be heard.

"Delegates, that’s just one more reason why Alex Salmond must be included in the leaders debates of the General Election campaign.

"Delegates, the real question for Scotland in this General Election is not Labour or Tory.

"The real question is who will speak up for Scotland and make our voice heard.

"To that question, there is, always has been and always will be only one answer. The SNP.

"We owe allegiance only to Scotland and to the best interests of the Scottish people.

"And we offer a real choice.

"We have a positive vision for the future.

"A fair Scotland with opportunity for all.

"A confident Scotland.

"A Scotland free of nuclear weapons.

"An independent Scotland.

"Fellow nationalists,

"That is our vision.

"It is the vision that will win for Scotland.

"It is now up to us – to all of us - to show that we’ve got what it takes to realise it."