At a packed UNISON Health Conference in the Royal Concert Hall (Friday 13th April), Katy set out the Liberal Democrats’ proposals for health, building on what we have achieved over the past few years in government. Katy highlighted the 3 key areas for the party:
- Better health care closer to where you live – a major building programme for 100 new local health centres or refurbished community hospitals, 2000 more nurses and 200 additional dentists and a proposed Total Waiting Time Guarantee of 6 months from start to finish from when you contact your doctor to receiving treatment
- Help to chose a healthier lifestyle – promoting healthy local food, encouraging a total cultural change for alchol and smoking and discouraging under age purchases and protecting green spaces so people have places to take exercise
- Children to get the best start in life – every child to get 1 hour physical activity every day, extend free fruit to all primary pupils and expand breakfast clubs to all schools and increase the role of school nurses
While the questions from the 111 strong audience of health service workers focused primarily on privatisation fears for the NHS, equal pay issues and the implementation of Agenda for Change, Katy was also keen to point out our achievements for the wider health issues.
“As a party we introduced the free eye and dental checks that have proved so successul. Glasgow Kelvin’s children now have far healthier teeth as a result. The smoking ban has proved hugely popular and we have already seen the difference in cleaner, pleasanter pubs, clubs and restaurants around the city and more people trying to give up. Free personal care for the elderly was also a flagship policy for our party. Despite some discussion over funding arrangements, there is no doubt it has helped many more Glaswegians to stay in their own homes longer and eased the financial worries that elderly residents often face over how to cope as they get older and need more support.”
“We have only just got started though and there is much more to do. A lot of health issues are a bit like a supertanker – it takes ages to turn them around, but once you have got the direction right, there is real power for change in a new direction. Our party has put health promotion at the heart of its plans, as clearly prevention is better than cure. But we also want to ensure that everyone has access to high quality health care when they need it, as locally as possible.”
To read more about the Lib Dem plans for health, then visit the Scottish Liberal Democrat website.
