Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 20 January 2021
The pandemic has challenged us all in ways that we could never have imagined. NHS staff have been on the front line since day 1, putting themselves at risk every day to care for others. With the vaccine programme now under way, NHS staff have once again stepped up to protect the rest of us. From GPs and nurses to pharmacists and drivers, they are all working hard to ensure that the population is protected. We owe them an enormous debt of gratitude and, more importantly, we have a duty to do whatever we can to support them, which includes providing them with appropriate protective equipment.
The British Medical Association has raised concerns about the suitability of some of the currently recommended PPE to protect staff from the new, more transmissible strain of Covid. The BMA is calling for the Scottish Government to change recommendations where there are concerns over safety. I share those concerns and join the BMA in its call for the current provision to be reviewed.
There must be no compromise when it comes to the safety of NHS staff, nor when it comes to getting the vaccine rolled out as quickly as possible. However, over the weekend, the rate of vaccination slowed down, with the number dropping by 3,000 people per day. Based on current trends, the Government’s target of vaccinating 560,000 people by the end of the month will be missed by as many as 100,000 people.
It is important to note that those people are the most vulnerable in our society. They are quite rightly being prioritised, and it is vital that they receive their vaccination as quickly as possible if we are to save as many lives as possible. However, there are reports of 100-year-olds in the First Minister’s constituency still waiting for their vaccination. Meanwhile, other parts of the UK have been able to get the vaccine out to the very elderly more quickly, and those areas are now moving on to those aged over 70. In fact, the UK Government’s—