Ash Regan today announced her plan to tackle the stressful situation engulfing Scotland’s National Health Service if chosen as SNP leader.

Ash proposes to hold a summit of front-line workers in an effort to fully understand from the bottom up, the solutions that the workforce undoubtedly have.

This would take the form of front-line departments nominating a spokesperson to attend a ‘National Health Summit’.

Ash said: “From visiting the heroes delivering on the front line of the NHS, it’s clear to me the solutions to unlocking capacity, reducing bed blocking, and empowering better health care – are being discussed and are apparent to those who work on the front lines day in and day out.

My proposal is simple – I don’t intend to just listen, I intend to hear what is being said, for far too long top down reform has not worked, and while the NHS of Scotland outperforms the rest of the UK, there are smarter decisions we can make.

There has been too much focus on targets and goals – the nurses and midwives I’ve met during this leadership election are telling me they are exhausted, the NHS has been running on goodwill for too long, it is time for change”.