John Swinney's pledge of 'serious' action on NHS may ring hollow for waiting-list patients

On the other hand, you may remember similar SNP promises and wait to see if any actual improvements happen before passing judgment. It may also occur to you that, with the Scottish Parliament elections now just a year away, there are political reasons behind this renewed interest in the NHS.

Speaking ahead of today’s Programme for Government, the First Minister said: “While many people's experience of their GP is excellent, for many others there is deep frustration over what has been described as the 8am lottery to make appointments. So we will act to reduce pressure and increase capacity in the system, to make it easier for people to get the care they need, when they need it."

More money for NHS frontline

If this sounds like he is an opposition politician, rather than the person actually in charge of Scotland’s government, that’s because Labour has been promising to end the “8am rush” for GP appointments for some time now. Clearly, the parties’ polling and focus groups have identified similar sources of discontent.

Scottish Conservative deputy leader Rachael Hamilton urged Swinney to reduce spending on NHS managers so there would be more money for frontline care, such as GPs, cancer treatment and A&E. She also rightly pointed to “classroom violence” and “Scotland’s crumbling roads” as issues that needed urgent attention.

READ MORE: The damning figures that show NHS is not safe in SNP hands

Swinney at least appears to be trying to do something about the NHS, but fixing problems that have developed over years will almost certainly take more than 12 months.

If 18 years of SNP rule have taught us anything, it is that the proof of the pudding is in the eating and the chef’s bold claims are to be taken with a pinch of salt. And those patients on growing waiting lists, plus their family and friends, represent a mighty constituency who may turn their noses up at the political message he now hopes they will swallow.