Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 09 November 2011
09 Nov 2011 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Rehabilitation and Enablement
Had the member cared to listen carefully, he would know that the plan and the resources were actually put in place by the previous Labour Administration and, to its credit, continued by the SNP. So, we took the action that was required to deliver on the zero target. Now, surely, this is something on which the Parliament can unite. To have an older person in a hospital bed for longer than they need to be is not something that we on the Labour benches want to see and I hope that Kevin Stewart joins me in that.
Integrating health and social care is the route to eradicating delayed discharge. Rehabilitation and reablement teams will help with that, too, but the challenge is great and the minister must get delivery right on the ground. There is clearly more work to do in that regard. I hope that the minister knows that we will help him on that journey as a critical friend, urging him to do more. The prize for us all is great indeed, because this is about providing dignity and security for our older people along with the right care, at the right time, so that we enable them to live full and active lives.
I move amendment S4M-01262.1, to insert at end:
“; believes that allied health professionals (AHP) perform a central role in rehabilitation and re-ablement as well as in delivering quality NHS services and the preventative health agenda more generally; therefore notes concerns expressed by the various Royal Colleges regarding reducing budgets and skills mix in the AHP sector as well as severe recruitment problems for newly qualified professionals in recent years, and calls on the Scottish Government to address these issues as a matter of urgency.”
15:05
Integrating health and social care is the route to eradicating delayed discharge. Rehabilitation and reablement teams will help with that, too, but the challenge is great and the minister must get delivery right on the ground. There is clearly more work to do in that regard. I hope that the minister knows that we will help him on that journey as a critical friend, urging him to do more. The prize for us all is great indeed, because this is about providing dignity and security for our older people along with the right care, at the right time, so that we enable them to live full and active lives.
I move amendment S4M-01262.1, to insert at end:
“; believes that allied health professionals (AHP) perform a central role in rehabilitation and re-ablement as well as in delivering quality NHS services and the preventative health agenda more generally; therefore notes concerns expressed by the various Royal Colleges regarding reducing budgets and skills mix in the AHP sector as well as severe recruitment problems for newly qualified professionals in recent years, and calls on the Scottish Government to address these issues as a matter of urgency.”
15:05
References in this contribution
Motions, questions or amendments mentioned by their reference code.
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Tricia Marwick)
NPA
The next item of business is a debate on motion S4M-01262, in the name of Michael Matheson, on rehabilitation and enablement in Scotland. Mr Matheson, you ha...
The Minister for Public Health (Michael Matheson)
SNP
Thank you, Presiding Officer. That sounded like I might have 15 or 16 minutes!I am pleased to open this debate on rehabilitation and enablement, particularly...
Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
Given that physiotherapy will be one of the main focuses of the debate, I point out that, according to the response to a freedom of information request that ...
Michael Matheson
SNP
I am aware that people wait too long to access rehabilitation services, including physiotherapy. As I develop my speech, I will try to explain to the chamber...
Mary Scanlon
Con
The minister talks about AHPs. Can I assume that he will not be looking at the waiting lists for mental health? Will that be included in his plan?
Michael Matheson
SNP
We will look at the role that AHPs have across the board, whether in general medical services or in mental health. It is important that we are clear about th...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
I ask members who wish to take part in the debate who have not yet pressed their request-to-speak button to please do so now. Jackie Baillie, you have a gene...
Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab)
Lab
I start by apologising to members for the fact that I will be unable to be in the chamber for the closing speeches. I have, of course, sought your permission...
Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (LD)
LD
Does the member share my concerns about the 25 per cent cut in the budget available to registered social landlords for housing adaptations?
Jackie Baillie
Lab
I am about to share with members an example of something that happened in the context of registered social landlords. A family had to wait a year for vital a...
Kevin Stewart (Aberdeen Central) (SNP)
SNP
Will the member give way?
Jackie Baillie
Lab
In a minute.Despite a promise made in the chamber by the minister’s predecessor, Shona Robison, that the number of waits of more than six weeks would be zero...
Kevin Stewart
SNP
Ms Baillie pointed out that there were 95 delayed discharges in July and 12 in April. Does the member acknowledge that in October 2001, when her Executive wa...
Jackie Baillie
Lab
Had the member cared to listen carefully, he would know that the plan and the resources were actually put in place by the previous Labour Administration and,...
Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con)
Con
I welcome this debate, which is timely given our rapidly increasing elderly population and the demands that the changing demographic will place on our health...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
One moment, Ms Milne. Will someone in broadcasting turn Ms Milne’s microphone up just a touch, as it is very quiet?
Nanette Milne
Con
Do you want me to go back, Presiding Officer?
The Presiding Officer
NPA
No, no—keep going.
Nanette Milne
Con
The change fund arrangements are welcome, but they will need to be closely monitored to ensure their effectiveness. As Jackie Baillie has said, there are alr...
Derek Mackay (Renfrewshire North and West) (SNP)
SNP
The point about vacancy management and the lack of new professionals coming into the system was raised earlier. Part of the reason for that is arguably the G...
Nanette Milne
Con
My party has no specific policy on that, but I have an issue with workforce planning and the appointment of physiotherapists.Occupational therapists, podiatr...
Jackie Baillie
Lab
Does Nanette Milne agree that if health service inflation is taken into account, there is in fact a real-terms reduction in the health budget of £319 million...
Nanette Milne
Con
The health budget has nevertheless continued to increase, although there are issues around the allocation of the budget to different sectors. That is perhaps...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
Will the member wind up?
Nanette Milne
Con
I am concluding, Presiding Officer.I fully recognise the importance of rehabilitation and reablement in supporting the health and social wellbeing of people ...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
We now move to the open debate. I call Jim Eadie, to be followed by Malcolm Chisholm. We still have a bit of time in hand, particularly for members who want ...
Jim Eadie (Edinburgh Southern) (SNP)
SNP
The motion sets out several key challenges that we face as a society. Foremost among those is ensuring the health and wellbeing of the older population, peop...
Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (Lab)
Lab
I am always fascinated by the continuity in health and community care policy from the Administration that governed until 2007 to the current Scottish Governm...
Mark McDonald (North East Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
The member might be aware of a pilot scheme that was undertaken in Dundee in which, at the end of the reablement process, some 60 per cent of users required ...
Malcolm Chisholm
Lab
I accept that, and I realise that the scheme has been rolled out in many other parts of Scotland, but Edinburgh was the first when it started in 2008.The res...