Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 22 September 2021
22 Sep 2021 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Scottish Ambulance Service
At the beginning of the pandemic, the NHS was not fully remobilised. In fact, we had stopped everything except urgent care and cancer care, so there was a—[Interruption.]—No, not everything has stopped; that is an inaccurate suggestion from Ms Baillie from a sedentary position. We do not have that workforce. As she has rightly said, health boards are under pressure to take them out of core sites and put them into, for example, a temporary structure, but that would have an impact. I should say to Ms Baillie that I am not ruling it out; I am just saying that there would be implications, and it is perhaps not as simple as she suggests.
In terms of the wider system pressures, I have spoken a lot about the Scottish Ambulance Service.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur)
LD
The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-01302, in the name of Jackie Baillie, on taking action on the national health service and ambulance crisi...
Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab)
Lab
I say to people: do not get sick, do not need an ambulance and do not need accident and emergency services in Scottish National Party-run Scotland, because i...
The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care (Humza Yousaf)
SNP
Our national health service is under more pressure than it has ever been in its entire 73-year history—there is simply no denying that or getting away from i...
Alex Cole-Hamilton (Edinburgh Western) (LD)
LD
If the cabinet secretary is so confident that the crisis in our ambulances and our A and E departments is entirely down to the pandemic, will he commit to a ...
Humza Yousaf
SNP
I will consider any good suggestion that comes from anywhere in this chamber, but I have never said that this is “entirely down to the pandemic”. In fact, ye...
Jackie Baillie
Lab
Will the cabinet secretary give way?
Humza Yousaf
SNP
I am happy to.
Jackie Baillie
Lab
I am grateful to the cabinet secretary. The Government did, of course, create the NHS Louisa Jordan, so the staffing capacity must have been there for it.
Humza Yousaf
SNP
At the beginning of the pandemic, the NHS was not fully remobilised. In fact, we had stopped everything except urgent care and cancer care, so there was a—In...
Douglas Ross (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
Will the cabinet secretary give way?
The Presiding Officer
NPA
The member is in his last minute.
Humza Yousaf
SNP
I will be happy to take an intervention from Douglas Ross in my closing speech. Given that I am in my last minute, I will return to the issue of the wider...
Sandesh Gulhane (Glasgow) (Con)
Con
We all know the statistics by now. We have the worst A and E waiting times on record; we are 1,000 acute beds short ahead of winter; the fire brigade, taxi d...
Humza Yousaf
SNP
Will the member take an intervention?
The Presiding Officer (Alison Johnstone)
NPA
The member is in his last minute.
Sandesh Gulhane
Con
Will the cabinet secretary commit to maintaining the four-hour A and E treatment target, regardless of the emergency care setting? Will he provide details on...
Alex Cole-Hamilton (Edinburgh Western) (LD)
LD
I thank the Labour Party for choosing to devote some of its parliamentary time to this issue. The Labour Party is correct to say that the Government has fail...
Carol Mochan (South Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
We debate many motions that thank various workers and groups for their efforts. Although such motions have a place in the work that we do here, the weight of...
Fulton MacGregor (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP)
SNP
I start by reiterating what other members have said: the Scottish Ambulance Service is the heartbeat of our NHS. There is no service like it. Providing emerg...
Paul O’Kane (West Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
Will the member take an intervention?
Fulton MacGregor
SNP
I will not have time—unless I get the time back, Presiding Officer.
The Presiding Officer
NPA
There are about two minutes in hand to the end of the debate. As you are not in your final minute, it is up to you, Mr MacGregor.
Fulton MacGregor
SNP
I give way to Mr O’Kane.
Paul O’Kane
Lab
The member acknowledges, I think, the scale of the crisis and the issues that existed before the pandemic. He made a point about ice, but would he accept tha...
Fulton MacGregor
SNP
I do not accept that characterisation. Local authorities have their own decisions to make and, as Mr O’Kane might be aware, the local authority in North Lana...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
Could you please wind up, Mr MacGregor?
Fulton MacGregor
SNP
I am sorry, Presiding Officer. I thought that I was going to get two minutes back.
The Presiding Officer
NPA
No. Speeches are four minutes this afternoon.
Fulton MacGregor
SNP
I am sorry; I picked you up wrongly. In that case, I end by saying that I support the Government’s amendment. 17:04
Meghan Gallacher (Central Scotland) (Con)
Con
Yesterday, the First Minister finally admitted that our NHS is in crisis, but only after growing pressure from NHS boards, healthcare professionals, unions a...