Meeting of the Parliament 03 March 2016
I was not suggesting for one moment that those options should not be available, because addictions of any kind have an impact on people’s mental health and stopping smoking is obviously the desired outcome. The issue is how we get people to do that if they are not well. We need to show compassion as well as encouraging them to stop smoking.
There was a lot of discussion about the duty of candour, and I emphasise that aspect again as it is an important part of patient care. Patients should have the information that they need when they are receiving care. However, the duty of candour as set out in the bill can be quite bureaucratic, as it provides for a reporting system and a system for apologies. I hope that the guidance that is given on implementing the bill will ensure that such an apology is meaningful. If the process is mishandled, that could cause additional distress. People need to be quite clear that an apology is being given not just because it has to be but because it is actually meant.
Malcolm Chisholm pointed out that that part of the bill is not so much about punishment as about keeping patients informed, and learning from experience and improving the service that we give to people. Even when a patient does not want to exercise their rights under the duty of candour, Malcolm Chisholm’s amendments allow for the circumstances surrounding the events to be examined so that staff can learn from the experience. That is really important, and the point was echoed by Nanette Milne, who spoke about the paternalistic NHS—which we have, I hope, seen the back of, although bits of it still exist here and there. It is important that we ensure that the NHS is patient centred rather than staff centred or led.
Nanette Milne highlighted the RCN’s concerns about wilful neglect and its worry that bill would be a barrier to openness and whistleblowing. She rightly wants that aspect reviewed, and I echo that call, because it is important that we have a very open health service and there are no barriers to people reporting concerns to ensure that problems do not happen again. However, I stress that I very much support the inclusion of an offence of wilful neglect. Mary Scanlon spoke about one such case, and we have all had cases of wilful neglect of patients that have been sad and heartbreaking. When that happens in a palliative care setting, it is even worse, because there is no way of going back and making something better, which can lead to families having real difficulty getting over their grief.
I want to touch on communication equipment, but I am not sure how much time I have, Presiding Officer.