Meeting of the Parliament 15 September 2021 (Hybrid)
I have not received that report yet, but I will organise meetings with Douglas Ross, Richard Lochhead and other interested local MSPs as soon as I do. We will of course relay that information to the community, who are rightly concerned about the services that they receive.
Similarly, the health and care needs of our remote and rural communities need to be supported, which is why we are developing a rural centre of excellence to provide expertise and advice on the delivery of care in different rural, island and remote settings in Scotland.
People need access to a wide range of services in their community through general practice for both their physical and mental health. Our GP contract plans, which we developed jointly with the profession, focus on recruiting a range of healthcare professionals in the community, such as pharmacists, nurses and physios, and are backed by £155 million of funding this year.
During the current parliamentary session, we will also create a network of 1,000 additional link worker staff who can help to grow community mental health and social prescribing.
In summary, our pandemic response has driven the agenda on access forward at speed and, as with any change, it takes time to adjust and adapt to it and to find the right balance. The Government is committed to working with members, the public, the British Medical Association and the Royal College of General Practitioners and other professional bodies to recover from the pandemic and strengthen our primary care services. They are the bedrock of our NHS.
I move amendment S6M-01217.2, to leave out from “, and calls” to end and insert:
“and other appropriate primary care health professionals, such as dentists, nurses, optometrists and pharmacists; appreciates that GPs and primary care staff were asked to change the way that they worked in response to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic; thanks GPs and primary care staff for keeping practices open and their hard work during the pandemic; recognises that, for many patients, the choice of using ehealth and telehealth solutions to initially contact their GP has been convenient, but that it is not a solution that is appropriate for all; believes that face-to-face consultations will continue to be necessary and that they should be taken forward in line with clinical guidance and in a manner that is as safe as possible as quickly as possible, and welcomes the Scottish Government commitment to work with the Royal College of General Practitioners, British Medical Association, Royal College of Nursing and other stakeholders to deliver this.”
16:50Motions, questions or amendments mentioned by their reference code.