BED TO WORSE

Medics demand 'urgent action' after sick diverted from packed hospital

- NEIL POORAN

SCOTLAND'S NHS will get "much worse" over winter, the head of the doctors' union has warned after a report said fundamental reform in the health service is needed.

The Audit Scotland report said some services may need to be withdrawn to free up resources to meet growing demand.

It said the Scottish Government has no clear plan for how to bring about change in the NHS.

However, Health Secretary Neil Gray insisted the Government has a plan to shift care away from under-pressure hospitals and into the community.

Dr Iain Kennedy, chairman of the BMA's Scotland Council, said there is a need for "radical reform" in the NHS.

He told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland show: "We have heard these warnings before another seriously worrying report from Audit Scotland that confirms the NHS in Scotland is in crisis with worsening performance. It's clear that urgent action is now required." A new operational plan for the NHS is needed, he said, with the current one dating back to 2020.