A report co-written by former SNP Health Secretary Alex Neil, along with Dr Richard Simpson and Dr Alastair Noble, argues that Scotland should scrap its new GP walk-in centers due to low patient numbers—only 3,732 patients in July—and instead adopt the English NHS app for immediate benefits. The authors also suggest involving a business leader to review medication use and reduce waste within the Scottish health system.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-17,
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same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Alex Neil, a former SNP Health Secretary, along with Dr Richard Simpson and Dr Alastair Noble, has called for immediate reforms to Scotland's NHS. They advocate scrapping GP walk-in centers and adopting an NHS England app instead. This recommendation comes amid concerns about pressures on doctor surgeries and the inefficiency of current patient access systems. In July, nine walk-in centers treated only 3,732 patients, leading some family doctors to question their value. The report also suggests decentralizing decision-making in the NHS, tackling a "postcode lottery" for GP appointments, increasing primary care spending, expanding hospital-at-home services, and utilizing empty capacity in care homes. Additionally, they propose hiring a business leader to review medicines and prescriptions to reduce waste. Meanwhile, Scotland's First Minister John Swinney is moving forward with the expansion of walk-in centers despite these criticisms.
Written for “Scottish Healthcare Controversy” on 2026-09-17,
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New GP walk-in centres should be scrapped and an NHS England app immediately used in Scotland, according to a report co-written by a former SNP Health Secretary.
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app → see → Secretary
Alex Neil has linked up with former Scottish Labour public health spokesman Dr Richard Simpson and respected former GP Dr Alastair Noble to demand immediate reforms to improve the NHS.
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Neil → link → NHS
It comes amid growing concerns about the increased pressure on doctor surgeries, the 8am scramble for a GP appointment, and the failure to fully implement an NHS Scotland app providing patients with information about their appointments, test results and prescriptions.
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It → come → appointments
The briefing by the three senior former health figures also called for a business leader to be recruited to review the use of medicines and prescriptions in order to cut waste.
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leader → call → waste
First Minister John Swinney is pressing ahead with a major expansion of his network of walk-in GP centres despite the nine which were open for the whole of July only treating 3,732 patients and concerns from family doctors that they are a waste of money.
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they → press → money
One of the key recommendations in the new briefing note, published by the Enlighten think-tank, said: ‘The recently announced GP walk-in centres plans should be scrapped with money re-invested in existing GP practices.’
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money → publish → practices
On the continuing work to develop the new Mycare.scot app, which will not be completed until 2030, they said: ‘License the English NHS app.
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they → continue → app
We need to stop trying to re-invent the wheel.
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We → need → wheel
‘Not everything needs a Saltire added to it.’
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Saltire → need → it
Alex Neil has demanded immediate reforms to improve the NHS
There have been calls for the new GP walk-in centres to be scrapped
A further recommendation demands action to cut medicine costs in the NHS.
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recommendation → demand → NHS
It says: ‘Someone from a business background to review the use of medicines in Scotland to identify how to stop waste - for example prescriptions that are never collected can’t be re-used, or even donated overseas, regardless if they are unopened and within date.
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they → say → date
‘Such a review could also identify why people may not be collecting medicines in the first place.’
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people → identify → place
It also demands a cross-party commission to find common ground around health policy and ‘develop a comprehensive, long-term business plan for health and social care’.
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commission → demand → health
It goes on: ‘The plan would address strategic challenges arising from the ageing of the population, the rapidly changing demands from patients, and the increased costs of new medicines and technologies.
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plan → go → medicines
‘Cross party involvement can help ensure long term implementation and stability regardless of which party is in power.’
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party → help → power
Mr Neil served as Health Secretary from 2012 to 2014 and was also Social Justice Secretary under Nicola Sturgeon, while Dr Simpson is a former GP and psychiatrist who served as Scottish Labour public health spokesman from 2007 to 2016 and Dr Noble worked as a GP in Nairn and was awarded an MBE for his work.
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Noble → serve → work
The three figures also called for ‘widescale decentralisation of decision-making’ in the NHS, action to tackle the ‘postcode lottery’ on access to GP appointments, a greater proportion of health spending for primary care, an expansion of ‘hospital at home’ services and the use of empty capacity in care homes for delayed discharge patients using up hospital beds.
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figures → call → beds
Scottish Conservative health and care spokesman Miles Briggs said: ‘This scathing report is a damning indictment of the SNP’s mismanagement of Scotland’s health service over the last two decades.
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report → say → decades
‘Even a former SNP health secretary who sat round the Cabinet table with John Swinney knows the current approach is miserably failing.
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approach → sit → Swinney
‘Their grievance politics stopped them from showing some common sense and adopting the NHS England app for patients, while Swinney’s flagship GP walk-in centres have been a flop.
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centres → stop → patients
‘Swinney and new health secretary Angela Constance cannot dismiss this report’s ideas out of hand.
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Swinney → dismiss → hand
If they continue to arrogantly believe they know best, then patients and hardworking staff will continue to suffer.’
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patients → continue → ?
Last month, Mr Swinney attended the official opening of the 11th walk-in GP centre in Buckhaven, Fife, where he announced plans to extend the number to 40.
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he → attend → 40
Health Secretary Angela Constance said: ‘Our plans for NHS reform are focused on improving services for people across the country, regardless of where a person lives.
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person → say → country
Our reforms will simplify how people get the care they need and remove the geographic and bureaucratic barriers we have between 14 health boards which we know are currently causing unwanted variation and duplication.
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we → simplify → variation
‘I want a seamless journey for patients and our reform of NHS boards will build on the progress we’ve seen over the past year with a new MyCare.scot app already available, long waits reducing, thousands more operations being carried out and over 10,500 people already using our new walk-in GP services since they opened in February.’
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they → want → February
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