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Chamber

Meeting of the Parliament 10 June 2015

10 Jun 2015 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Health

That proves my point to some extent, because we have interpretation. The issue will be about our coming together to try to make improvements. Our nurses—perhaps in orthopaedics or paediatrics—may have particular opinions: some specialist nurses may feel that there should be more of them. Clinicians also say that they should have more facilities and resources. They are probably all right.

At the same time, we must consider ways to improve what we have, and how we can be smarter—I think Jenny Marra used that word and said that we should be smarter in how we provide the service. We have a finite resource so we need to think about how we deliver services. With the integration joint boards we have an opportunity to meet the challenges that lie before us.

I was a bit concerned when Jenny Marra said that perhaps after the listening, things will come together within six months, because I am not sure that we will have the answers within that time. Some of the business plans for the integration joint boards run for three years. We must ensure that whatever we do, we do it in a manner that will get us the outcomes that we desire. There is no point in rushing in to fix something that is not broken—it is not broken, but perhaps we need to oil the wheels a little better.

Everyone is in agreement. When we talk about the health service—Bob Doris did this when he mentioned carers—we need to ensure that we have a dialogue.

In the same item of business

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Elaine Smith) Lab
The next item of business is a debate on motion S4M-13416, in the name of Jenny Marra, on health. I invite members who wish to contribute to the debate to pr...
Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab
I and other Labour members have approached today’s debate in a conciliatory way, hoping to reach a consensus on the way in which we take forward the debate o...
John Mason (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP) SNP
Will the member give way?
Jenny Marra Lab
I would like to make a little more progress, but I will do so later. Those are significant and considered interventions from experts who do not use such str...
John Mason SNP
Does the member agree that one of the decisions that must be made and in which the public certainly must be involved is whether we put more resource into pre...
Jenny Marra Lab
There is a great consensus in all the reports that we have seen about the shift to preventative spend. We will approach the public debate with a programme of...
The Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport (Shona Robison) SNP
I welcome Jenny Marra’s consensual tone. My amendment seeks to build on that tone, and I hope that it will be received in that spirit. Presiding Officer, I ...
Jenny Marra Lab
I thank the cabinet secretary for her considered response, and I welcome the fact that the chief medical officer is visiting Ninewells on Monday. However, do...
Shona Robison SNP
Of course. Indeed, that is why we have set up the whistleblowing helpline. However, that does not mean that the concern that is raised is always correct or t...
The Deputy Presiding Officer Lab
I can give you two minutes back.
Shona Robison SNP
We face a number of challenges to our health and social care system including poor patterns of health, health inequalities, rapidly changing demography, high...
The Deputy Presiding Officer Lab
Will you draw to a close now, please, cabinet secretary?
Shona Robison SNP
Yes. That level of open engagement will seek consensus on a reform plan for health and social care by 2016, with further engagement beyond then on into impl...
Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con) Con
We very much welcome this debate. Like everyone here, Scottish Conservatives greatly value the work and dedication of the staff in NHS Scotland and Scotland’...
The Deputy Presiding Officer Lab
We turn to the open debate. I ask for speeches of six minutes, please. There is not a lot of time in hand. 15:16
Bob Doris (Glasgow) (SNP) SNP
I start by referring to targets in the NHS, which was a theme in the opening speeches. The briefing that the royal colleges prepared for the debate specifica...
The Deputy Presiding Officer Lab
Mr Doris, you really must close.
Bob Doris SNP
That is a hobby horse of mine. I hope that the cabinet secretary has listened to my sales pitch for the care sector. 15:23
Lewis Macdonald (North East Scotland) (Lab) Lab
The challenge of matching NHS resources to demand for healthcare is tough everywhere, and nowhere more so than in NHS Grampian. I know the service well, not ...
John Mason SNP
I take the member’s point about population being important. Does he agree that need and deprivation are also important?
Lewis Macdonald Lab
Absolutely, and that is exactly what the NRAC formula is intended to reflect—population growth, need and deprivation and urban and rural populations. The Gov...
Linda Fabiani (East Kilbride) (SNP) SNP
I welcomed the text of Jenny Marra’s motion when I read it after it was published last night, and I welcome the generally consensual and positive speech that...
Jim Hume (South Scotland) (LD) LD
I welcome this debate on health. At a time when we often take a narrow focus and address only separate elements of the NHS, I believe—as the Royal College of...
The Minister for Sport, Health Improvement and Mental Health (Jamie Hepburn) SNP
Mr Hume has raised the issue of mental health valiantly on many occasions, and more power to his elbow in doing so, but I reiterate the point that parity bet...
Jim Hume LD
I have replied that it does not repeat what has been done elsewhere to state the need for parity between physical health and mental health. I am happy to for...
Dennis Robertson (Aberdeenshire West) (SNP) SNP
Just yesterday, directors of finance from some of our NHS boards gave evidence to the Heath and Sport Committee, and at one point I started to feel very sorr...
Jim Hume LD
Dennis Robertson said that I am not listening, but although the Mental Health (Scotland) Bill states that there should be improvements in mental health, it d...
Dennis Robertson SNP
That proves my point to some extent, because we have interpretation. The issue will be about our coming together to try to make improvements. Our nurses—perh...
Jenny Marra Lab
Dennis Robertson referred to my remarks on the timescale of the public conversation that the RCN has called for. He is saying that we are looking for solutio...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (John Scott) Con
And your point is?