A political storm is brewing in Holyrood as nationalist MSPs launch a bid to dismantle a centuries-old tradition for Scotland's health service chiefs: the oath of allegiance to the King.
The move, spearheaded by the Scottish Greens, targets the requirement for every new chair of a NHS health board to swear an oath to the monarch. Critics have slammed the practice as an outdated 'colonial hangover' that has no place in a modern Scotland.
A System on Its Knees
The push for change comes amidst what opposition parties describe as a crippling crisis within NHS Scotland. Under the current SNP leadership, the service is grappling with soaring waiting times, chronic staff shortages, and immense financial pressures.
"To have senior figures swearing an oath to an unelected head of state at a time when the NHS is on its knees is beyond a parody," said Scottish Green MSP Gillian Mackay.
The Case for Abolition
Proponents of the change argue the oath is a symbolic relic that undermines the principles of public service. They contend that loyalty should be to the people of Scotland and the NHS constitution, not to the Crown.
The British Medical Association (BMA) Scotland has previously called for the oath to be scrapped, suggesting a pledge to the values and principles of the NHS would be far more appropriate for its leaders.
Constitutional Clash or Political Distraction?
Opponents, however, see the move as a constitutional gambit and a distraction from the SNP-Green government's failings on health. Scottish Conservative MSP Dr. Sandesh Gulhane accused the nationalists of pursuing a "constitutional obsession" while the NHS "buckles under their neglect."
The debate is set to reignite tensions between the devolved government in Edinburgh and the UK government in Westminster, for whom the monarchy remains a cornerstone of the British constitution.
As the future of the oath hangs in the balance, the controversy highlights the deepening divide between Scottish nationalism and British tradition, all set against the backdrop of a national health service fighting for its survival.
