Summary

  • John Swinney is quizzed on his plans for the NHS by opposition party leaders

  • Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay wants to know when a long promised NHS app and new treatment centres will be delivered.

  • Swinney says the Tories are to blame for slashing budgets, singling out the "madhouse" economics of Liz Truss.

  • Labour's Anas Sarwar says there have been five promised NHS recovery plans in four years - and asks why should we trust this one.

  • For the Lib Dems, Alex Cole-Hamiton says his party has secured important funding in budget negotiations on drug and health services.

  • Asked if he backs a third runway at Heathrow to help Scotland's exporters, Swinney says he will continue to engage with the UK government.

  • The FM says he will raise the case of Demi Hannaway with the Lord Advocate, after family claims the abused young mother's death may not have been suicide.

Live Reporting

  1. Analysis

    Health professionals want more detail on NHS plans

    Lisa Summers
    BBC Scotland health correspondent

    The government has been here before.

    Ten years ago it announced plans to build a series of specialist hospitals called National Treatment Centres that would focus on non-urgent care.

    Despite making that a central commitment of the Covid Recovery Plan – funding for new buildings was pulled with fewer than half opened.

    In 2017 there were promises to employ 800 new GPs. But Scotland now has fewer GPs than a decade ago, with more patients needing care.

    And more recently, in 2022, the government said that by September last year, nobody would have to wait longer than a year to start treatment. Yet the latest figures show over 90,000 waits were over 52 weeks.

    Speaking to doctors, pharmacists and others who attended Monday's event, they welcome the plans to create more capacity and shift resources to the community, but they question the lack of detail from the first minister on exactly how it will be achieved.

  2. Findlay asks when national treatment centres will actually open

    National treatment centre sign

    John Swinney insists his government will expand GP capacity with £10.5m expansion of activity.

    The first minister outlines further details from his announcement.

    The noise from the backbenchers leads to an admonishment from the presiding officer.

    Findlay says he asked about an app, but the FM went off onto a different script.

    The Scottish Tory leader lists national treatment centres that have not opened yet.

    "When will these actually open?"

  3. When will Scottish patients get access to the long-promised NHS app?

    The NHS appPA Media

    Findlay says the BMA response was to bemoan the lack of detail in Swinney's plans.

    The Scottish Tory leader accuses the first minister of having "no interest in the difficult job of delivery".

    He turns his attention to the Scottish NHS app and says Swinney had the audacity to announce it again.

    "When exactly will Scottish patients get access to this vital technology?"

  4. Background: Swinney's pledges to bring down NHS waiting lists

    A busy hospital ward. Two doctors, one wearing scrubs, are examining a laptop screen.PA Media

    On Monday, First Minister John Swinney pledged his government would reduce NHS waiting lists and make it easier to get GP appointments.

    At a speech in Edinburgh, Swinney set out three priorities: to reduce immediate pressures in the NHS, shift the balance from acute services to the community and to use innovation to improve access to care.

    NHS waiting lists and delayed discharge figures have hit record highs, with a report from Audit Scotland last month calling for urgent reform to cope with growing demands.

    The Scottish Conservative health spokesperson Sandesh Gulhane said that the First Minister's plans were not going to solve the crisis, describing the pledges as "empty rhetoric."

    Medical unions welcomed parts of the announcement but said it lacked detail.

    Read more

  5. FM says Budget will provide record funding for the NHS

    John Swinney in parliamentScottish Parliament

    The first minister says he explained at the beginning of the week his government's focus on the NHS.

    John Swinney insists the goals will be achieved with the right policies and resources.

    He says the NHS will get its largest amount of cash in the Budget, which he is pleased to have support for.

    The Tories are not part of the agreement to move the health service forward, he adds.

  6. 'Humza Yousaf's big promises are now in the bin'

    Russel Findlay speaking in the Scottish Parliament.Scottish Parliament

    Russell Findlay gets to his feet to ask his first question in this week's FMQs.

    The Scottish Tory leader reminds the chamber his party told the SNP that former FM Humza Yousaf's NHS recovery plan would not help patients.

    He says: "Humza Yousaf's big promises are now in the bin."

    Findlay accuses John Swinney of announcing the same ideas as Humza Yousaf did years ago and he asks how anyone is expected to believe his recycled promises.

  7. FMQs to get under way shortly

    First Minister's Questions will get started at about 12:00.

    We'll bring you full coverage and analysis here.

    You can also follow events from the Holyrood chamber by clicking the Watch Live icon at the top of this page from just before midday

  8. Analysis

    Analysis: Plenty to choose from - but the NHS is bound to come up

    Philip Sim
    BBC Scotland political correspondent

    It’s a week without a fantastically clear topic for FMQs to hang around.

    A budget deal has been announced, although any jeopardy around that was long gone. It might put John Swinney in a good mood, at least.

    Yesterday’s announcement about another round of early releases from prison might feature; it’s a bread and butter topic for the Tories, albeit one the parliament has had a row about already when passing emergency legislation last year.

    There’s today’s court ruling about the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields – although the Greens technically don’t have a question this week, and indeed used their one last week to ask about the government’s presumption against new fossil fuel developments.

    Another green topic might be the Audit Scotland report on yet another environmental target set to be missed, on the goal of reducing car use by 2030.

    And then there’s the NHS. There’s always the NHS. I don’t even know if there’s an obvious hook for it this week, but Anas Sarwar in particular always finds a reason to ask about health services.

    John Swinney made a speech on Monday pledging action to bring down waiting times; that’s the sort of thing opposition leaders love to latch onto, particularly when building their platforms for 2026.

    And that seems to be the most predictable thing about FMQs nowadays – that it’s all geared towards drafting leaflets for an election which remains 16 months away.

  9. What's been happening in Scottish politics this week?

    The Scottish government announced it had struck deals with the Greens and Lib Dems to ensure that its Budget plans will be approved.

    On Monday First Minister John Swinney pledged his government will bring down NHS waiting lists and make it easier to get GP appointments.

    Elsewhere Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes warned Scotland's public sector will have to "absorb" a shortfall in funding to cover a UK government tax rise.

    It emerged up to 390 prisoners will be released early starting from next month in the latest move from the Scottish government to reduce the prison population.

    And today we found out Scotland is "unlikely" to meet its 2030 climate change target to reduce car use, according to public spending watchdogs.

  10. Welcome

    John Swinney and Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes will be in their usual frontbench seats for FMQsGetty Images

    Good morning and welcome to today's live coverage of First Minister's Questions at Holyrood.

    John Swinney will face the usual grilling from opposition party leaders and backbench MSPs from about 12:00.

    As ever, we'll bring you previews, live coverage and analysis throughout.

    You can also follow events by clicking Watch Live at the top of this page from just before midday.