Meeting of the Parliament 19 February 2020
That is a big question, which I do not have time to cover in this debate.
Health inequalities, which drive a great deal of the pressure on our NHS, continue to permeate our society. The Royal College of Paediatric and Child Health’s 2019 update of its “State of Child Health” report said:
“The proportion of children at risk of being overweight or obese surges ahead in the most deprived areas but is falling back in the least deprived areas. Child poverty rates are increasing and child mental health services are struggling to meet demand.”
If we do not improve the health of our children, we have little hope of improving the health of the nation as a whole.
Of course, although accountability for any failings is essential, we need to avoid perpetuating a blame culture and instead ensure that NHS staff and leadership are supported and valued. As has been well described, there have been deeply concerning reports of a negative workplace culture in the health service. The departing chair of NHS Lothian, Brian Houston, stated in his resignation letter that the health board has not been treated with
“the values of openness and honesty, dignity and respect by some areas of the Scottish government”
and said that the board had been bringing the challenges that it was facing to the Scottish Government’s attention for years. Martin Hill, the vice-chair, similarly stated that
“the Scottish Government contrived to put Brian in a position where he felt it necessary to resign”.