\n Doctor leaders warn GP practices \u2018on the brink\u2019 as demand intensifies<\/a>\n<\/p>\n \n Scottish Government urged to improve NHS governance to deliver reforms<\/a>\n<\/p>\n \n \u2018One in nine\u2019 Scots on NHS waiting list as delays hit record<\/a>\n<\/p>\n \n He will warn that the situation is likely to only get worse, as 43% of respondents to the survey said they are now more likely to go private.\n<\/p>\n \n Dr Kennedy will point to a warning he issued last Christmas which said the health service would struggle to see out another year with its founding principles – including free at the point of delivery- remaining intact.\n<\/p>\n \n \n \u201cAnd it will only get worse, because 43% of those surveyed feel they are now more likely to go private.\u00a0 It is abundantly clear that Scotland has been divided into those who can afford private healthcare and those languishing on ever longer NHS waiting lists.\n<\/p>\n \n \u201cNow, I don\u2019t believe anyone made an active choice to pursue this path towards a private health service.\u00a0 Rather, it is a failure get to grips with an evolving population and its health needs.\u00a0 But, be in no doubt, the NHS is dying before our very eyes.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \n In the latest survey, of those who accessed private care, 45% used personal savings and 20% said they had to cut back on leisure activities.\n<\/p>\n \n Another 9% had to cut back on essential items such as energy and groceries, while 9% had to borrow money to fund private treatment.\n<\/p>\n \n A total of 46% who did not use private care in the past two years said it was because they could not afford to and 43% said their likelihood of using private healthcare had significantly or somewhat increased in the past few years.\n<\/p>\n \n Out of all those who responded, 63% reported that their confidence in being able to access a timely hospital appointment through the NHS had significantly or somewhat decreased in the past few years, while 60% said the same for GP appointments.\n<\/p>\n \n During the BMA Annual Representative Meeting, Dr Kennedy will outline four key principles for NHS reform which include shifting the balance of care into the community, a workforce plan setting out how to recruit and retain doctors and other staff.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n Dr Kennedy will also take aim at Scottish Minister\u2019s for \u2018largely ignoring\u2019 pleas made by the trade union.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n He is expected to say: \u201cThe chance to save our NHS remains.\u00a0If we want to provide timely care to all, which is free at the point of need, then immediate action is required.\n<\/p>\n \n \u201cWe did ask the Scottish Government<\/a> for a national conversation but were largely ignored.\u00a0So, instead, NHS reform must now happen.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \n He will add: \u201cThe impact of the Scottish Government repeatedly ignoring the warnings made by the BMA and many others is clear.\u00a0 Patients are suffering, unable to access the care they need when they need it, or having to use their own hard-earned money to go private.\n<\/p>\n \n \u201cEveryone knows it is unacceptable. That\u2019s why BMA Scotland will continue to shine a light on the dire state and worsening position of the Scottish NHS.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n \u201cAnd it\u2019s why we will go on fighting for our members, for our patients, and for a better future for Scotland\u2019s health service.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \n Responding to the BMA warnings and findings, the Scottish Conservatives<\/a> said Scots having to “raid their life savings” for private health care is “immoral” as they blamed the SNP<\/a> for “chronic mismanagement” of the NHS.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n Scottish Conservative health spokesperson Dr Sandesh Gulhane MSP said:\u00a0\u201cIf BMA Scotland\u2019s devastating warning doesn\u2019t rouse failing SNP ministers, nothing will.\n<\/p>\n \n \u201cScotland\u2019s NHS is on life support thanks to 18 years of chronic mismanagement by the Nationalists. \u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n \u201cThe fact that so many Scots are having to raid their life savings to go private for treatment isn\u2019t just unfair, it\u2019s immoral and at odds with the founding principles of our health service.\n<\/p>\n \n \u201cThe ability to access care should not be determined by the size of your bank balance.\n<\/p>\n \n \u201cNeil Gray<\/a> needs to get his head out of the sand and act now to save our NHS and prevent even more Scots being pushed into medical debt.\n<\/p>\n \n \u201cThe Scottish Conservatives have a plan to end this two-tier system by cutting bureaucracy and surging resources to the frontline.\u201d\n<\/p>\n(Image: BMA) He is expected to say: \u201cOur NHS should be free at the point of need.\u00a0 But, through today\u2019s research, I can reveal that almost a third of Scots say either they or someone in their household have had to use private healthcare within the last two years. Our survey showed that the majority are forced to do so, as waiting lists are simply too long. They just can\u2019t get the timely care they need.\n<\/p>\n