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Programme for government: John Swinney pledges to tackle GP appointment lottery Programme for government: John Swinney vows action on GP appointment 'lottery'
(about 11 hours later)
John Swinney will pledge to increase capacity in the NHS John Swinney moved the announcement forward ahead of next year's Scottish Parliament elections
John Swinney says the NHS will be "at the heart" of his government's legislative plans for the final year of the Scottish Parliament's current term. NHS Scotland will deliver an extra 100,000 appointments in GP surgeries in a bid to end the 08:00 "lottery", First Minister John Swinney has pledged.
The first minister has brought forward the annual programme for government, which he is unveiling 12 months ahead of the Holyrood election in May 2026. The SNP leader made the announcement as he unveiled his administration's programme for government 12 months ahead of the Holyrood election in May 2026.
In his speech on Tuesday, Swinney will pledge to increase capacity in the health service to tackle what he called the 08:00 "lottery" for making GP appointments. As well as putting the NHS "at the heart" of the legislative and policy agenda, Swinney announced his government would permanently ban peak rail fares and end an alcohol ban on ScotRail trains.
Labour has accused the SNP of "broken promises" while the Tories say ministers must move away from "fringe obsessions". The Conservatives said the statement was "more of the same" while Labour accused SNP ministers of wasting public funds after 18 years in power.
The programme for government sets out the policy and legislative goals for the next parliamentary year.The programme for government sets out the policy and legislative goals for the next parliamentary year.
It is usually published after the summer recess, but Swinney moved the date this year to "enable a full year to delivery" before the Holyrood election.It is usually published after the summer recess, but Swinney moved the date this year to "enable a full year to delivery" before the Holyrood election.
Swinney meets with trainee GPs at Newfield Medical Group in Dundee. He told MSPs at Holyrood that his plans amounted to a "programme for a better Scotland".
Ahead of Tuesday's speech, he visited Newfield Medical Group in Dundee. Swinney acknowledged the difficulty many face in getting GP appointments can cause "deep frustration" in what he said was "described as the 8am lottery".
The first minister said his programme for government would "take serious action to put the NHS on track to meet the needs of the public". He said the NHS would deliver an extra 100,000 appointments in GP surgeries focused on "key risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and smoking".
"While many people's experience of their GP is excellent, for many others there is deep frustration over what has been described as the 8am lottery to make appointments," he said. It is understood GPs will be given extra funding to allow them to bring in people with conditions such as high blood pressure or cholesterol problems for check-ups before they are feeling unwell enough to ask to see a doctor.
"So we will act to reduce pressure and increase capacity in the system, to make it easier for people to get the care they need, when they need it." It is hoped this will help ease the demand for on-the-day appointments.
Swinney said child poverty and cost of living pressures were also among his priorities. The announcement, coming just nine months after the last programme for government, was light on proposed legislation.
It comes after figures released in March showed the Scottish government had missed its legal targets for reducing child poverty. Swinney instead spent time emphasising his government's previous record.
"We're seeing falling levels of child poverty, we are moving in the right direction," he said. Among the concrete measures was a commitment to scrap peak rail fares on nationalised ScotRail trains.
"Some of the measures we have funded, for example the Scottish Child Payment or increased investmnent in housing services, or wraparound care for early learning and childcare A previous pilot scheme was axed by the government last year, with ministers citing low passenger numbers.
"All these measures are designed to help us achieve that journey." Swinney said the move would "put more money in people's pockets and mean less CO2 is pumped into our skies".
The Scottish Conservatives said Swinney's speech must signal a move away from SNP "fringe obsessions" and focus on the priorities of "mainstream Scotland". Ministers also say they will end an alcohol ban on ScotRail trains, which has been in place since 2020.
"That means dropping the Nationalists' fringe obsession with gender self-ID once and for all, said deputy leader Rachael Hamilton. It is to be replaced by "regulations that focus restrictions more effectively on particular times and locations, similar to previous restrictions".
She said Swinney should focus on repairing roads, ending classroom violence, cutting NHS waiting times and reducing taxes. The Scottish government says it will end an alcohol ban on ScotRail trains
Scottish Labour said Scotland would not forget John Swinney's "record of failure". Ahead of the announcement, Swinney faced questions on anti-social behaviour associated with a scheme giving everyone under the age of 22 a free bus pass.
Leader Anas Sarwar said "From health to education to the environment, this SNP government's record is defined by broken promises. The government confirmed it was working on a scheme to suspend, or potentially permanently remove, passes from those engaging in anti-social behaviour.
"Like clockwork, headline-grabbing plans are made and abandoned, and ambitious targets are set and missed." Swinney told MSPs child poverty and tackling cost-of-living pressures were also among his priorities.
Supreme Court judgement It came after figures released in March showed the Scottish government had missed its legal targets for reducing child poverty.
Last week the Scottish government said it would not bring forward planned legislation to criminalise misogyny before next year's election. The Scottish government announced in December that it would effectively offset the two-child benefit cap north of the border by April 2026, or earlier if possible.
Ministers said there was not enough time to draw up a law which reflects the recent Supreme Court judgement on the definition of a woman, and instead plan to amend existing hate crime legislation to provide protections on the basis of sex. The cap, introduced by the UK government in 2017, prevents parents from claiming universal credit or child tax credit for more than two children, with a few exemptions.
Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie expressed disappointment that these plans had been dropped, alongside proposals to ban so-called conversion therapy. Swinney said his government was "on track" to deliver payments to affected families by next year.
Harvie said: "John Swinney needs to be ambitious and ensure that Scotland is taking meaningful action to cut child poverty and tackle the climate emergency. He said the government would publish a child poverty action plan for 2026 to 2031 "to keep us on the journey to meet our poverty reduction targets for 2030".
"That means putting people and planet at the core of his plans." John Swinney says eradicating child poverty is among his priorities
To help stimulate the economy, the first minster announced a six-point export plan "to enable Scottish exporters to diversify and grow markets".
He also said ministers would set up funds for research projects and start-ups.
The SNP leader said the Scottish government would increase funding to the Acorn carbon capture project beyond a previous £80m cap - if given the go-ahead by the UK government.
The programme for government includes a commitment not to introduce new income tax bands, or increase current rates, before the next election.
It also says ministers will bring forward a bill to regulate non-surgical procedures which are offered for "cosmetic or lifestyle purposes".
Last week the Scottish government said it would not bring forward planned legislation to criminalise misogyny before next year's election - sparking criticism from the Scottish Greens.
Ministers said there was not enough time to draw up a law which reflected the recent Supreme Court judgement on the definition of a woman, and instead planned to amend existing hate crime legislation to provide protections on the basis of sex.
The government also confirmed it would not be bringing forward legislation to end conversion therapy this term.
During his announcement, Swinney said the government was "entirely committed" to tackling misogyny.
He also said his ministers would work with the UK government to deliver a conversion therapy ban across Scotland, England and Wales.
'More of the same'
Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay described the programme for government as "flimsy" and "more of the same".
He told MSPs that it "would do little to restore public trust".
Labour leader Anas Sarwar said billions of pounds of public money had been "wasted by the SNP" during its time in power, calling the announcement "embarrassing".
He added: "This statement fails to meet the challenges or ambitions of the people of Scotland."
John Dickie, director of the Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland, said the government's plan "lacks the scale and urgency needed to meet statutory targets never mind achieve the FM's ambition to eradicate child poverty altogether".
The Poverty Alliance said the policy agenda "doesn't go far enough", while the STUC described it as "bold on rhetoric but light on details and on cash".
Stop Climate Chaos Scotland said the programme for government offered "too little, too slowly".
However, the Scottish Chamber of Commerce said it was a step "in the right direction".