Jackie Baillie.

Jackie Baillie is Scottish Labour's Health Spokesperson or the opposition's spokesperson on health. In Saturday's Scotsman, Baillie calls for an amalgamation of the various health board's and trust's in Scotland so as to make savings, and she goes on to say,

"In tough financial times, we need to make sure that our focus is on patient care and every penny is spent in the most efficient way.

"It is impossible to justify 22 separate health boards in a country the size of Scotland."

Fine words no doubt; but we've heard them all before in Wales...exactly 12 months ago to be exact, when Edwina Hart amalgamated 22 Local Health Boards into seven Health Boards and in the process protected the pay of those who were left without jobs for 10 YEARS. There is no evidence whatsover that the amalgamations in Wales realised ANY financial savings or economies of scale. Clearly Jackie Baillie is of the same ilk as Edwina Hart and will just plough ahead without learning any lessons. I would urge my favourite Scottish politician the Health Minister, Nicola Sturgeon to exercise extreme caution before she considers such a proposal.