Meeting of the Parliament 15 September 2021 (Hybrid)
As the health secretary, Humza Yousaf has influence in this country—people listen to him. What happens if someone has a medical emergency? Do they remember what the health secretary said and think, “Maybe I’ll think twice about phoning”? Thinking twice is not the solution to the crisis for our Ambulance Service.
We must also acknowledge the severe staffing shortages that currently exist across much of Scotland’s health system.
Only last week, the head of Macmillan Cancer Support services in Scotland warned that, as the number of people who are diagnosed with cancer is set to soar in the years ahead, we simply do not have enough specialist cancer nurses to meet demand. For many who are battling cancer, having a nurse is a tremendous source of support, comfort and encouragement, so it is extremely concerning to hear warnings that we are set for a perfect storm of a shortage of nurses coupled with growing demand.
Despite the array of challenges that NHS Scotland faces, Conservative members are today urging the Government to act on the return of normal GP services. I am sure that most members have had concerned constituents get in touch to inform us that they—or someone they know—have struggled to access GP services, particularly those who would like a face-to-face appointment.
It is no secret that, even before anyone had heard of Covid-19, general practice in Scotland was not exactly in peak condition, as the British Medical Association Scotland highlighted last month. Between 2010 and 2020, there was a gradual decrease in the number of GP practices across Scotland. Meanwhile, the average practice’s patient list went up. That suggests that, in the decade prior to the pandemic, general practice had been under increasing pressure to meet the needs of Scots.
The pandemic has placed untold pressure on NHS services, which is forcing more people to go to their GP. One GP contacted me to explain the sheer pressure that they are experiencing because of unprecedented demand, which has been exacerbated by staff shortages across primary care. They told me that primary care is broken due to the increased and unsustainable pressure resulting from Scots waiting longer for secondary care.
In last week’s debate on the programme for government, I made the point that, although more funding for the NHS is welcome, the NHS recovery plan is, in many ways, limited in how it will tackle the huge issues that our health service faces. Not least, it fails to deliver a network of long Covid clinics. That awful aspect of the virus has the potential to place further pressure on front-line services if it is not properly addressed.
If we do not do what is necessary to get hospital, clinic and surgery waiting times under control, GPs will continue to be overwhelmed with patients. Desperate patients will attend A and E departments to get treatment, as many feel that they are left with no other choice, and that could severely compound the pressure.
People need help today. They need help now. As I am sure my colleague Dr Sandesh Gulhane will say in his speech, the situation has all the components to generate a brutal domino effect across the NHS in Scotland. Many medical conditions will continue to go undiagnosed and untreated, which will lead to tragic yet entirely avoidable consequences. Leading health professionals have admitted that the current pressures on the NHS are akin to those faced during the harshest months of winter, so the domino effect could soon worsen if warnings are not heeded. Therefore, the NHS needs a proper recovery plan—one with real substance and teeth—to get it back on track and to reduce pressure on general practice and our front-line staff.
As I said, GPs face overwhelming demands, but it is also true that video consultations should not become the default for patients who need to be seen face to face. Many people in communities across Scotland desire face-to-face GP consultations over appointments via telephone or the Near Me service, and that must be respected.
With the motion in my name, the Scottish Conservatives are clear that we will support patients who need to get back to seeing their GP in person. If the Government is confident that its NHS recovery plan will help to tackle the backlog and waiting times, it will have no issue in supporting our motion and committing to setting a target date for the return of normal GP services.
I move,
That the Parliament recognises that patients have a right to treatment by GPs, and calls on the Scottish Government to set a target date for a return to normal activity in practices, including face-to-face consultations.
16:44