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Waiting time pledges 'will spark US-style litigation'
A pledge made by the Scottish National Party (SNP) to set 'guaranteed' waiting times for NHS treatment will lead to a barrage of legal action, it has been claimed in the Scottish Parliament.
During the election campaign earlier this year, the SNP said in its manifesto that it wanted to give 'every patient a legally binding waiting time guarantee appropriate for their condition.'
However, in the Scottish Parliament yesterday, SNP leader and First Minister Alex Salmond faced criticism over the potential consequences of introducing the guarantees.
'The SNP made this promise because it sounded good, but the reality is now clear,' said Scottish Liberal Democrats leader Nicol Stephen: 'It will mean American-style litigation in Scotland's health service, a lawyer by every bedside, the health service spending time in the courtroom, not in the treatment room.'
According to the Scotsman, Mr Salmond said the idea was 'still out to consultation'.
Category: Healthcare
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