Meeting of the Parliament 15 December 2015
No, I am sorry, but I will not take an intervention.
When we look at primary care and integration, will we have data from each local authority to show that the bodies are working together? I know that in South Lanarkshire they work well together and the practice is very good; that is also the case in West Lothian. However, for an unknown reason, Glasgow seems to be lagging behind. Whether that is by choice or not, I do not know. I have certainly tried to ask why that is, but I have not been able to get any answers, apart from the admission that targets are looked at each month. I would ask the cabinet secretary to pick up on that particular issue.
As part of its inquiry into age and social isolation, the Equal Opportunities Committee heard that some people, particularly elderly people, turn up at their doctor’s surgery not because they are unwell but because they are very lonely and have no one else to talk to. The committee talked about using link workers in practices, who can identify such patients and ease the pressure on doctors’ time by pointing people to a voluntary service—the voluntary sector is important in the integration of health and social care—that might be beneficial to their mental and physical health. Perhaps when the Government is considering primary care and the lowest common denominator in that regard, it will consider whether there is a role for link workers.
15:30