The Scottish Government Programme for Government was announced on 1st September 2026. It sets out our Government's ambitions over the next five years. This brings lots of news on our public sector reform programme and I understand finance colleagues will be reflecting on these announcements and what it may mean for finance professionals moving forward.
This is a really exciting time of change and while that can bring uncertainty, it is more important than ever that we come together as a professional group to help shape and influence the future. Finance professionals' role will be more important than ever in maintaining financial stewardship through this period, as well as shaping the opportunities and navigating the challenges this will present. Directors of Finance will be working together closely on this, involving teams at a local level. More detail will follow on specifics from the announcements in the coming weeks.
The spotlight session on the 11th September will provide a chance to hear from myself and Christine McLaughlin as interim Director General about reform priorities with a chance to ask questions from the panel.
More information on the Programme for Government - gov.scot.
In the meantime, we are keen to hear from you. Please share your thoughts on the announcement and any initial reflections and questions via psd.financeacademy@nhs.scot. We will publish a FAQ document on this website in the coming weeks.