An extra 500 specialist nurses and midwives would be deployed into Scotland’s communities under plans unveiled by Ruth Davidson.
The Scottish Conservative leader revealed the election manifesto pledge at an event with journalists in Edinburgh yesterday.
She insisted the additional health visitors, whose numbers would grow over the course of the next five years, would provide support for a service she claimed would be stretched to breaking point when the SNP’s controversial named person policy comes into force.
Ms Davidson added: “So in our manifesto next week we will set out a fully-costed plan to hire a further 500 health visitors in Scotland over the parliament.
“We can do more to actively improve Scotland’s health choices – and not just plough ever more money into mopping up the consequences of poor health choices.
“Making sure families and children have help early – and enough information and support to make better decisions about how they live.”
A survey by Unison, the trade union which represents health visitors, found more than half of respondents were not in favour of the named person policy.
According to the research, workers are worried about being sued and being consumed by extra work would impact on time they currently spend with parents.
The SNP insists the policy will protect children’s wellbeing and supporting – not diminish – the role of parents.
A spokesman added: “It is widely supported by leading children’s charities and welfare organisations, as well as by the Scottish Police Federation, who say it will ‘help keep children safer’ – and has also been upheld by the highest court in Scotland, including a ruling which said the policy had no effect whatsoever on the legal, moral or social relationships within the family.”