THE NHS is “dying before our very eyes,” leading doctors warned today as a new poll revealed increasing use of private medical care in Scotland.

The survey by the Diffley Partnership for BMA Scotland found nearly a third of Scots had accessed private treatment in the last two years or lived with someone who had.

BMA Scotland chairman Dr Iain Kennedy said it was “abundantly clear” that Scotland was now divided between people who could afford to go private and those forced to “languish” on NHS waiting lists.

He urged the Scottish government to act now to secure the future of the country’s health system, warning that the situation will only get worse if nothing is done to reverse the trend.

According to the poll, 17 per cent of Scots have accessed private medical care themselves and 14 per cent said that someone in their household had.

Of those who went private, 45 per cent used personal savings, 20 per cent cut back on leisure activities and 9 per cent reduced spending on essentials such as groceries or energy.

Another 9 per cent borrowed money to cover the cost of care.

Nearly half of those who did not go private said it was because they could not afford it.

Confidence in NHS access has sharply declined, the survey also found.

In a speech to the BMA annual representative meeting in Liverpool, Dr Kennedy said: “Our NHS should be free at the point of need. But [most patients] just can’t get the timely care they need.”

Dr Kennedy said he did not believe the problem was a result of an “active choice” but “a failure to get to grips with an evolving population and its health needs.

“But, be in no doubt, the NHS is dying before our very eyes,” he warned.

“The chance to save our NHS remains. If we want to provide timely care to all, which is free at the point of need, then immediate action is required.”

Dr Kennedy called for reform in four parts of the NHS: a shift in the balance of care into the community, the implementation of a workforce plan to recruit and retain doctors as the population ages, a long-term focus on prevention and a “more mature” approach to measuring the health service.

Health Secretary Neil Gray said the Scottish government recognised the concerns and was “determined to deliver the reform our NHS needs.”