MDDUS responds to PSA Scottish manifesto

Responding to Professional Standards Authority’s publication of its manifesto for the elections to the Scottish Parliament in May, Chris Kenny, the Chief Executive of the medical organisation MDDUS, said:

“The Professional Standards Authority is right to highlight patient safety and the need for meaningful system learning in its manifesto for the Scottish elections.

“These priorities sit squarely alongside the conclusions of our independent expert report, Wellbeing by Design, which set out the case for prioritising learning and reflection as a catalyst for positive change within NHS workforce policy.

“When doctors see that lessons from inquiries lead to measurable change, it strengthens patient safety and restores confidence in the systems they practise in. That confidence is closely linked to tackling burnout and sustaining the workforce.

“A more unified approach to accountability across Scotland and the wider UK would help make sure that learning from major inquiries is not lost in structural complexity.

“All of the political parties contesting the Scottish election in May now have an opportunity to show how they will translate the recommendations of Wellbeing by Design into practical reforms that support both patients and the clinicians who care for them.”

Dr Naeem Nazem, Head of Medical at MDDUS, said: “We also support the PSA’s call to maintain momentum towards a licensing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures.

“We surveyed our members in 2024 and found that a third had treated patients suffering harm after unregulated cosmetic interventions such as botulinum toxin injections and dermal fillers.

“Among those who had managed complications, almost four in five reported that the number of patients seeking medical help has increased year on year, and nearly half said the youngest patient they had seen was aged between 16 and 25.

“As the demand in this market has grown, regulation has struggled to keep pace. Closing that gap would reduce avoidable harm and lessen the burden placed on NHS clinicians when procedures go wrong.”

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