John Swinney branded an 'analogue politician' by UK Labour's Wes Streeting in 'second-rate' NHS app row
UK ministers have hit out at Scotland’s “second-rate” NHS app as it promises a “supercharged” version south of the border.
First Minister John Swinney has been branded an “analogue politician in a digital age” over a row about Scotland’s “second-rate” NHS app.
UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the SNP Government needed to act quickly as patients in Scotland were “missing out”.
The verbal swipe comes as Mr Streeting launches a plan to give patients in England a “doctor in your pocket” to make healthcare technology part of everyday life.
There has been an NHS England app for six years, but a similar version in Scotland will only go on a limited trial at the end of this year. A full rollout is not expected until 2030.
Mr Streeting said: “The UK Labour government is embracing technology to deliver a better NHS for patients and their families, giving them more control and transparency over their treatment.
“In John Swinney, the SNP have an analogue politician in a digital age, and patients in Scotland are missing out. The SNP have record funding and complete control of the NHS in Scotland.
“There’s no excuses for this and it just shows why Scotland can’t afford a third decade of the SNP.
“It needs a new direction with Anas Sarwar as first minister.”
The English app has 35 million users and UK ministers say they will improve their version by 2028, allowing patients to book and check hospital appointments, interact with specialists, and visit “AI doctors” for advice.
A Scottish app was first announced in 2021, but will not be launched until December this year.
The app’s functionality will initially be restricted to dermatology patients only at NHS Lanarkshire, and limited to only notifying them of appointments.
If the trial is successful, it will be rolled out in other health boards and then be fully introduced in five years’ time.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The NHS England app was developed to support England’s NHS trusts and is configured specifically to their IT infrastructure.
“We have, however, already engaged extensively with NHS England and with other health systems to explore how we can take learning from other approaches in developing our service.
“Scotland’s planned online app is for both health and social care and we will launch it in Lanarkshire by the end of 2025. National rollout will commence through 2026 and we will publish a national rollout plan later this summer.”
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.