The NHS in Scotland can be improved without resorting to spending "more shedloads of money", a former health secretary has said.
Jeane Freeman, who stood down in 2021, said more time should be spent listening to frontline staff instead of relying on decisions made by management committees.
The former SNP MSP said she "cared passionately about the NHS" and wanted to see it improved.
It comes as Scots face record waiting times in A&E wards and the health service struggles to clear a huge backlog of non-emergency procedures.
Freeman raised the example of one hospital which had asked all of its staff - including non-clinical workers like receptionists - how it could improve treatment times.
"The way forward on this is, is not simply to keep throwing money at it," she told the Holyrood Sources podcast.
"Personally, I would not start with politicians. I would start with the Royal Colleges, with the clinical teams, with the janitors."
Freeman shared the story of one hospital where treatment times for heart attacks were cut following a suggestion by a member of the cleaning staff to relocate a drinks machine - which meant a lift could be accessed more quickly.
"The hospital involved everyone who came into contact with a patient from the point they came out the ambulance to the point they were in the theatre," she said.
"That included the hospital receptionist, the janitors, as well as the clinical teams. And they cut their times because of an idea the janitor had to move a drinks machine out the way so you got quicker into the lift.
"That was the janny - good on him. He will have helped save more lives."
Freeman continued: 'We saw it during Covid when we stripped away all the layers of committees and decision-making because we had no choice.
"We said to the frontline clinical teams - you make the decisions that are right to make for yourselves and your patients to keep you all safe.
"Take this the right way, but nothing bad happened because you didn't have to write a policy and go to 22 different committees to get a decision.
"I care passionately about the NHS. I am utterly convinced that we can make this better without more shedloads of money. We can do this better."
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