In his statement to Parliament, First Minister John Swinney outlined a number of key proposals, including:
Simplify the NHS by replacing the current 14 territorial Health Boards with two Strategic Health Boards.
- By the end of 2031, no one should wait more than 26 weeks for treatment.
- Increasing the number of people receiving hospital-level care at home through Hospital at Home services from 7,500 to more than 10,000 people over this winter, including for paediatric care.
- Further expanding Free School Meals in primary schools and deliver a national breakfast club offer for all primary schools from August 2027.
- Commitment to a new Crisis Framework for Children and Young People, alongside a Crisis Intervention Fund, as part of an expansion of emergency mental-health support.
- Raising the Scottish Child Payment to £40 per week for children under 1 during 2027-2028, supporting an estimated 12,000 children annually.
- Introducing proposals for a Vape Display Ban and a new Diet and Healthy Weight Management Plan.
Introduce a Food Prices (Scotland) Bill to establish legal price ceilings on some essential food items.
RCPCH Officer for Scotland, Dr Lynn Macleod, said:
We welcome the Scottish Government's commitments to expand free school meals and the Scottish Child Payment, alongside the development of a Crisis Framework for children and young people and proposals for a vape display ban. These measures have the potential to improve children's health and wellbeing, support families across Scotland.
The announcement of plans to move from 14 health boards to two Strategic Health Boards represents one of the most significant reforms of Scotland's health service in recent years. As the Scottish Government undertakes its planned three-month engagement process, we would urge ministers to work closely with the child health workforce to ensure their expertise and experience help shape future arrangements. Children's healthcare needs are distinct, and the complexity of paediatric services must be fully recognised to ensure any reforms support the delivery of high-quality care for children and young people across Scotland.
Reorganising NHS structures will not, by itself, reduce the long waits faced by children and young people or ease growing pressures on the paediatric workforce. Any reform must be accompanied by sustained investment in child health services and the workforce.
We welcome the Government's commitment to expand Hospital at Home and introduce a new Community First approach to deliver more care closer to home. RCPCH has long called for greater investment in community-based services, and these provide an opportunity to improve outcomes, reduce inequalities and support earlier intervention for children and young people.
While the commitment to reduce waiting times is positive, 26 weeks is simply too long for a child to wait for treatment. Public Health Scotland data from June 2026 showed that 42.5% of children were already waiting more than 12 weeks for an outpatient appointment, highlighting the urgent need for faster access to care.Children only get one childhood. Delays to assessment and treatment can have lasting consequences for health, development and life chances. We urge the Scottish Government to make reducing paediatric waiting times a priority and invest in the workforce needed to ensure every child can access timely, high-quality care when they need it.