Scottish NHS hailed a model for UK

Health services across the UK can learn lessons from Scotland’s NHS but serious financial pressures could undermine its “unique system for improving the quality of healthcare”, experts have found.

The Nuffield Trust health think tank urges England, Wales and Northern Ireland to consider importing aspects of the Scottish NHS.

Trusting clinical staff to drive improvements in care, continuity in healthcare policy and institutions, and testing new ways of working via small scale projects before national roll-out are all singled out for praise.

However,theresearchwarns Scotland’s NHS faces a “serious financial predicament” as boards need to find savings of an average of 4.3 per cent in the next financial year, higher than in England and Wales and the majority are struggling to balance their books.