Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 04 June 2024
04 Jun 2024 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Health and Social Care
I thank Mr Doris for that update.
Still on the subject of preventative action, on Friday I met a lady in Colinton called Shona Harrower. She wanted to tell me about a truly preventative approach from Norway.
“Amazeballs free sports equipment loan scheme for all under 25s with a residential address in Norway”,
she proclaimed.
“Rachel (my daughter) just sent me this awesome photo from Norway. An old school friend visited her, and they borrowed all the camping gear they needed from the (free) Bua shop to make memories like this”.
If a picture could tell a thousand words, that one certainly did. What is there not to like about tackling physical and mental health at the same time, and getting our young people involved in sport and nature?
The NHS in Scotland has been described as
“not sustainable in its present form”
by Professor Paul Gray, the former head of the NHS in Scotland. The SNP has driven the NHS into that crisis. It must adopt the Scottish Conservatives’ proposals from our “Modern, Efficient, Local” healthcare paper to secure the future of our NHS in Scotland.
17:08In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Liam McArthur)
LD
The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-13466, in the name of Neil Gray, on a vision for health and social care in Scotland. I invite members who...
The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care (Neil Gray)
SNP
We have reached a critical point in our country’s health. We are seeing growing demand on our health and social care services, which needs to be addressed, a...
Pam Duncan-Glancy (Glasgow) (Lab)
Lab
One way in which the health service can be prevented from being overburdened is to introduce the audit of fracture liaison services, which the Government com...
Neil Gray
SNP
There are areas that we should develop in the details of the service delivery that we can achieve, such as the one that Pam Duncan-Glancy mentions. That is w...
Finlay Carson (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con)
Con
Last week, we heard from midwives about the struggles that they face during training. What consideration has been given to apprenticeships for midwives and o...
Neil Gray
SNP
Finlay Carson touches on the important issue of attraction and retention, which is being worked on by the nursing and midwifery task force. We need to see an...
Sandesh Gulhane (Glasgow) (Con)
Con
I draw members’ attention to my entry in the register of members’ interests: I am a practising NHS general practitioner. The future of our national health s...
Ruth Maguire (Cunninghame South) (SNP)
SNP
Does the Conservative vision for healthcare include its remaining in public hands?
Sandesh Gulhane
Con
It does, 100 per cent. As an NHS GP, I will always want the NHS to be free at the point of care. In fact, if you listen a little bit longer, you will hear so...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
Speak through the chair.
Sandesh Gulhane
Con
—which is our vision for the NHS, the member will be able to understand our 26-page policy document. To achieve that, our country will need to truly embra...
Neil Gray
SNP
I really want to focus on ideas on how we will move forward. I agree with Sandesh Gulhane’s suggestion on refocusing and prioritising some funding for preven...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
I can give you the time back for interventions, Dr Gulhane.
Sandesh Gulhane
Con
What we seek is a reduction in demand for secondary care, which is far more expensive than the work that we would undertake in primary care. We also need to ...
Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab)
Lab
I think that this debate has been misnamed. It is entitled “A Vision for Health and Social Care in Scotland”, but this SNP Government has not had any vision ...
Neil Gray
SNP
I am interested in the waiting time statistics that Jackie Baillie quotes in her amendment, because they are factually inaccurate. I am interested in underst...
Jackie Baillie
Lab
First, those figures are neither misleading nor factually inaccurate. They were taken from data that has been published by Public Health Scotland. I will no...
Gillian Mackay (Central Scotland) (Green)
Green
I begin by extending my gratitude to the workers who make up our NHS—those who spend their lives making sure that we get the care we are entitled to when we ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
As someone who has played walking football, I would be concerned that doing so five days a week might put additional pressure on A and E services. 16:48
Alex Cole-Hamilton (Edinburgh Western) (LD)
LD
I am pleased to speak in the debate on behalf of Scottish Liberal Democrats. I am grateful that the cabinet secretary offered to meet me. I know that, in adv...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
LD
We move to the open debate. 16:54
Jackie Dunbar (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP)
SNP
The NHS in Scotland—our publicly owned, publicly run, free-at-the-point-of-use national health service—is one of our country’s greatest assets. For more than...
Sue Webber (Lothian) (Con)
Con
Our NHS is an incredible national asset—I do not think that anyone doubts that—but it continues to face growing challenges. The SNP’s consistent attempts to ...
Bob Doris (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP)
SNP
I can update the member on progress in relation to SMA screening. I and representatives of people who are suffering from SMA had a very successful meeting wi...
Sue Webber
Con
I thank Mr Doris for that update. Still on the subject of preventative action, on Friday I met a lady in Colinton called Shona Harrower. She wanted to tell ...
Christine Grahame (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP)
SNP
The Scottish Government, in choosing to invest more than £19.5 billion in health and social care in 2024-25, is giving our NHS a real-terms uplift in the fac...
Sue Webber
Con
Will the member take an intervention?
Pam Duncan-Glancy
Lab
Made a request to intervene.
Christine Grahame
SNP
Yes, I will take an intervention.
The Presiding Officer (Alison Johnstone)
NPA
I call Sue Webber.