THE SNP have warned that Scottish Labour pose a “very real risk” to free prescriptions in Scotland.
The party cited analysis that found that the number of pharmacies in Scotland is on the rise while England has lost 1500 since 2016 according to the National Pharmacies Association (NPA).
The NPA said this was due to workloads and budget cuts, while the Department of Health in England said the previous government had neglected pharmacies for years.
The SNP highlighted that Rachel Reeves’s Autumn Budget didn’t release additional funding to pharmacies despite increasing National Insurance contributions – with pharmacies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland announcing today they will be cutting services as a result, including the end of free medicine deliveries and extended opening hours.
In Scotland, meanwhile, funding for pharmacies was increased by some £13.2 million in September, with an additional £10m in guaranteed reimbursement.
SNP MSP Emma Harper, who is a registered nurse, told The National that “transformative policies like this are at risk” with Labour, or Scottish Labour, in power.
“In Scotland, the SNP has provided record funding for our frontline health services. This makes a real difference, ensuring that pharmacies remain the first port of call for those most in need,” she said.
“It’s disappointing to see Labour, at the very first opportunity, not only fail to do the same but heap more pressure on frontline health services with their hike in national insurance contributions.
“They have done nothing to address the scandal of prescription charges and have instead pursued cruel policies like the two child cap and Winter Fuel Payment cut.”
Harper (below) added: “This begs questions for 2026: With senior Labour figures in Scotland suggesting free tuition could be scrapped, who’s to say free prescriptions won’t be next?
“Be in no doubt, transformative policies like this are at risk under Labour; but the SNP are offering a better alternative by making sure that our public services are sustainable and fighting for a future free from such backward Westminster policies.”
Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour's spokesperson on health, said: "As health is a devolved matter which is the responsibility of this SNP government, I can only prescribe a dose of common sense.
"The UK Labour Budget delivered a record settlement for Scotland including an additional £789m for our NHS this year and £1.72 billion for our NHS next year.
"At a time when nearly one in six Scots are on an NHS waiting list, the SNP should stop churning out fabricated mince and start focusing on its duties to the Scottish people."
