Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 13 June 2018
13 Jun 2018 · S5 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Mental Health
No.
The first comment is about Aberdeen royal infirmary:
“I attended A&E during a mental health crisis. From the start, reception staff were really patient and understanding. I got seen in triage by Gail and, her manner with me was just fantastic. She genuinely listened to me and didn’t make me feel like I was a burden or anything.
Due to the way I was feeling and the state I was in, I was kept in A&E to see the psychiatry team. In A&E whilst I was waiting, another nurse, Bethan was looking after me. I appreciated just the small things—giving me some juice and a biscuit, listening to what I had to say.
I was in A&E for about 3 hours and, in that 3 hours they didn’t fix everything but, they gave me somewhere safe when my thoughts were too much and a plan. I can’t really ask for much more.”
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Christine Grahame)
SNP
The next item of business is a debate on motion S5M-12706, in the name of Alex Cole-Hamilton, on health. 14:42
Alex Cole-Hamilton (Edinburgh Western) (LD)
LD
It is a great privilege to lead the debate for my party and to move the motion. In her first speech in the chamber after the 2016 election, the First Ministe...
Neil Findlay (Lothian) (Lab)
Lab
Last week, during carers week, I met a group of young carers, to speak about their lives. Ten out of 14 of them told me that they had had to be referred to C...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
I will give you a little time back, Mr Cole-Hamilton.
Alex Cole-Hamilton
LD
Thank you, Presiding Officer. I agree with Neil Findlay absolutely, and I think that what he said underscores the group who are most vulnerable, who are alr...
Clare Haughey (Rutherglen) (SNP)
SNP
Will the member give way?
Alex Cole-Hamilton
LD
I will not; I am just coming to the end of my remarks. It is a human tragedy that is visited on the north shore of my constituency every single week. My par...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
I now call the minister, Maureen Watt. You have six minutes, minister. 14:51
The Minister for Mental Health (Maureen Watt)
SNP
Thank you, Presiding Officer. Six minutes is a rather short time to address these important issues, but I will do my best. As stigma around mental health ha...
Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
Will the member take an intervention?
Maureen Watt
SNP
I am in my last minute. The next programme for government will deliver a further step change in both ambition for and investment in mental health. I move a...
Annie Wells (Glasgow) (Con)
Con
I thank the Liberal Democrats for bringing this extremely important topic to the chamber today. Last week’s figures for mental health waiting times showed ...
Anas Sarwar (Glasgow) (Lab)
Lab
I thank the Liberal Democrats for bringing this timely and important debate to the chamber. I say right at the outset that we will be supporting their motion...
Tom Arthur (Renfrewshire South) (SNP)
SNP
Mr Sarwar referred to CAMHS waiting times and workforce. As he will be aware, staffing for CAMHS has increased by 69 per cent since 2007. Clearly he thinks t...
Anas Sarwar
Lab
Consultant vacancy numbers are going up, not down. There has been a failure to plan adequately for the workforce, which is why we have had to launch our own ...
Alison Johnstone (Lothian) (Green)
Green
I am pleased that one of the amendments that have been selected for debate today—the Labour amendment—acknowledges that the prevalence of mental health probl...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
No. I am sorry, but you must conclude. You have made your point.
Alison Johnstone
Green
Thank you.
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
It is now the open debate. I am afraid that speakers have a strict four minutes. 15:10
Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (LD)
LD
Scottish Liberal Democrats have, over the years, consistently sought to keep the spotlight on mental health. We have repeatedly used the time that is availab...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Linda Fabiani)
SNP
We are very tight for time, so I will have to be strict. 15:15
Tom Arthur (Renfrewshire South) (SNP)
SNP
I am grateful for the opportunity to speak in the debate, which takes place at a time of significant change in attitudes to mental health. Here in Scotland, ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
You must close, please.
Tom Arthur
SNP
I will just say that there is common ground and that, if we work together constructively, we can achieve the vision that we all share. 15:19
Miles Briggs (Lothian) (Con)
Con
I welcome this important debate on mental health, and I thank the Liberal Democrats for using their debating time to have it. The motion rightly refers to t...
Jenny Marra (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
There are thousands of stories behind the children’s mental health waiting times statistics. Each child has their own story of how their name came to be on t...
Stewart Stevenson (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP)
SNP
Alex Cole-Hamilton’s motion says that the “hard-working staff do not have the resources and support that they require to deliver the service that they woul...
Alison Johnstone
Green
Will the member take an intervention?
Stewart Stevenson
SNP
No. The first comment is about Aberdeen royal infirmary: “I attended A&E during a mental health crisis. From the start, reception staff were really pa...
Alex Cole-Hamilton
LD
Will the member take an intervention?