John Swinney is expected to announce plans to scrap most of Scotland's 14 regional health boards as part of a wider shake-up of the public sector, to be unveiled in his Programme for Government at Holyrood on Tuesday. The First Minister also intends to merge and cull the country's 135 quangos to fewer than 100, with successor bodies handed reduced responsibilities. A source described the goal as a "radical shift" in the structure and culture of public services, arguing too many organisations and people are involved in delivering them, though critics warn the reforms risk being used as cover for cuts rather than genuine improvement.

One source suggested the 14 territorial NHS boards could be reduced to five, comprising the three existing island boards plus separate east and west mainland boards, while the eight special boards, including NHS 24 and the Scottish Ambulance Service, also face reorganisation. Scottish Labour has long called for just three territorial boards and says it would work with the SNP on the plan, provided savings go towards GPs and primary care. The Scottish Conservatives welcomed efforts to shrink the state but pointed to past reform failures, such as Police Scotland's centralisation and the abandoned National Care Service, while Unison warned that centralising decisions could worsen record A&E waits, delayed discharge costs of £1.2 million a day, and Scotland's worst-ever NHS waiting lists.