Commenting on a BMA report which raises concerns that the NHS will struggle to protect quality and find efficiency savings if cuts are made to senior doctors' protected time, Liberal Democrat Health spokesperson Ross Finnie MSP said:
"While face-to-face patient care is the most important way of ensuring patients receive the best care while they are in hospital, research carried out by front line senior doctors is also vital.
"It would be short sighted to abolish the designated time senior doctors have to undertake research and training. This could have a detrimental effect on discovering new ways of diagnosing and treating patients.
"Consideration must always be given on how we can make the NHS more effective and more patient focussed, but getting rid of protected time that senior doctors spend would be a backwards step."
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