John Swinney, the Scottish Government’s finance secretary, has announced £615 million in new cuts to the Scottish budget. This combined with the cuts already announced in September represent over £1 billion of spending being cut this year. The vast majority of these spending cuts have fallen on the NHS, which is set to see cuts of £400 million.
While Swinney argues that the money has been reprioritised, and that the NHS budget remains unchanged, the health service remains in critical condition following underfunding from the government. This follows a review of the NHS from Audit Scotland last year which found that the NHS was not financially sustainable, and urgent action was required by the Scottish Government. In the aftermath of the pandemic, a lack of funding and a loss of exhausted healthcare workers has meant that services have struggled to reopen to their 2019 capacity, compounded by the cost-of-living crisis placing a strain on both the overall NHS and individual members of staff.
A strong healthcare system is vital to the whole Scottish society, however there are several ways in which repeated cuts to the NHS are disproportionately impactful on BAME Scots. Poverty levels for non-White people living in Scotland are twice the national average, and earn on average £2,300 less a year. Therefore, while some Scots could shift to private healthcare if needed, it would be significantly more difficult for BAME Scots to afford this. Since their reliance on a strong NHS is greater, the cuts threaten to negatively affect this group more than the rest of the population.
In addition, while BAME Scots have lower mortality rates than average, they are more at risk from certain conditions: for example, South Asians are more at risk from developing diabetes or heart disease. As spending cuts hit the NHS, these specific healthcare services are more likely to be cut or moved to larger hospitals, disproportionately impacting BAME Scots, who would be forced to travel greater differences to get the life-saving care they may require.
Finance spokeswoman for the Scottish Conservatives, Liz Smith, said that the global financial situation “does not absolve Mr Swinney or his colleagues of responsibility for the position Scotland finds itself in after fifteen years of their government”. She noted that while the Scottish government announced cuts to the health, education, and justice sectors, the £20 million set aside for a second independence referendum in 2023 was left untouched. This raises questions about the true priorities of the Scottish government during the cost-of-living crisis. She argued that “The obvious conclusion to be drawn is that he and his colleagues… prefer a divisive referendum to practical support measures”.
It is clear that chronic underfunding from the Scottish Government over the past decade has pushed the Scottish NHS to a point of crisis. These budget announcements threaten to add to this, removing money desperately needed while retaining funds set aside for a second referendum. This decision threatens to negatively impact the entire Scottish population, by disproportionately those from the BAME community.