Meeting of the Parliament 18 February 2020
I thank everyone who came to the committee to give evidence and those who sent in written evidence. I also thank the hard-working clerks who compiled the report and the members of the committee, who took part in that work too.
As Liz Smith said, social prescribing has been around for many years; it is just that it has not always been called that. Years ago, we were told to go for a walk or take up a sport because it was good for us.
I agree with Liz Smith that a huge culture change is needed on the part of not only the general public but GPs. Working together is hugely important. That is something that came across clearly when we spoke to the individuals and organisations that came before the committee.
Things have changed. We now eat a lot of fast food and a lot of people have sedentary lifestyles. Years ago, children could play in the streets, and there were not necessarily lots of cars. There has been a culture change in that respect. We have to be aware of that.
On the points that Brian Whittle made, I cannot be as humorous and gentle as George Adam was. The report is a consensual one, but we can also talk about how we feel about the issues and what people have told us. However, we cannot use the report as a tool to batter everything that has come out of this Parliament. That is a sad fact of life. If Brian Whittle looked at the figures and saw the number of food banks that we have, the number of people who are on universal credit and the number of people who are not able to survive, he might understand why people in certain areas have health problems. Look to your own Government, not everyone else’s. You should be quite ashamed of yourself for the way that you said that.