First Minister unveils five-year Programme for Government, replacing 14 health boards with two

First Minister John Swinney has set out a five-year Programme for Government headlined by the replacement of Scotland’s 14 territorial NHS boards with two strategic health boards.

Announcing Programme for Government 2026-2031 on 1 September 2026, First Minister John Swinney said patients would receive better care, with shorter waits, “as a result of the most significant structural reform of our NHS in the devolution era”.

Other measures include a national breakfast club for all primary schools from August 2027; childcare support 52 weeks a year for children from nine months old to the end of primary school by 2031; raising the Scottish Child Payment to £40 per week for eligible babies under 1 during 2027-28; £205 million in winter heating payments for pensioners, families with disabled children and struggling households; defining misogyny as a distinct form of prejudice and abuse; and expanding the £2 bus fare cap beyond the Highlands and Islands to the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport area from Monday 7 September, ahead of a national roll-out by the end of this Parliament.

The Government said it would support “better jobs and higher incomes by making Scotland a better place to invest and do business”, and bring the national environment public bodies into a single overarching body.

Nine Bills will be introduced during 2026-27: the Budget Bill; Buildings (Heating and Energy Performance) and Heat Networks (Scotland) Bill; Council Tax (Scotland) Bill; Damages (Scotland) Bill; Food Prices (Scotland) Bill; Football Banning Orders (Scotland) Bill; Legal Aid (Scotland) Bill; Misogyny (Criminal Law) (Scotland) Bill; and Public Service Renewal (Scotland) Bill.

First Minister John Swinney said: “This ambitious Programme for Government has radical and widespread public service reform at its heart to deliver real, lasting improvements to people’s lives.”

He said: “By rewiring a system of services designed for the last century, we will simplify and reshape organisations on which everyone relies and ensure every pound of investment achieves maximum impact.

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“As we do so, we will build on the most generous cost of living package anywhere in the UK while continuing to tackle inequality, poverty and division.

“This is a Programme for Government to deliver a fairer, healthier and more prosperous nation.”