HEALTH unions have launched scathing attacks on First Minister John Swinney’s Programme for Government, branding it a “slash and burn programme for the NHS.”

Mr Swinney’s plan for a wide-ranging restructuring of the Scottish public sector comes after his then finance secretary Shona Robison announced plans in January to make £5 billion in cuts from service budgets by 2030, predicting it could cost up to 11,000 jobs.

Eight months and an election later, unions have warned that the true cost could be as high as 20,000 jobs as they took aim at the First Minister’s plan to restructure social care, local government, and cut Scotland’s 14 territorial NHS boards down to two.

“The Scottish government has set out a slash-and-burn programme for the NHS,” said Unite general secretary Sharon Graham.

“The proposals will inevitably result in swingeing cuts and thousands of job losses across the public sector.”

Warning that the union would consider strike action to defend workers and services, regional co-ordinator James O’Connell, added: “Reducing health boards does not reduce workload or staffing pressures. 

“Unite will not stand by and allow workers and services to be attacked. We will be consulting our members on the damaging implications of this announcement, and all options will be on the table to prevent this unacceptable programme of cuts.” 

Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland on Wednesday, Mr Swinney admitted it was “likely over the next few years that there will be a reduction in public-sector employment,” but insisted he would “work very closely” with unions on proposals he called “the most radical reshaping of public services” in Holyrood’s history.

He pledged: “I’ll maintain the no compulsory redundancy commitment.”

Unison Scottish secretary Lilian Macer, unimpressed, said: “You cannot just restructure your way out of a public service crisis.

“The Scottish government must build the capacity of public services, not spend millions reorganising them.”

She added: “The real issues facing public services are the Scottish government’s cuts.

“Scotland’s NHS has the longest waiting lists since devolution, thousands of nursing posts remain vacant and social care is in crisis. 

“At the same time, councils are being warned they could become financially unsustainable.

“Changes to NHS boundaries won’t lead to a single extra nurse, care worker or paramedic nor any new care packages or hospital beds.”