Meeting of the Parliament 15 September 2021 (Hybrid)
More and more people are going private. In effect, the Government is privatising the dental service by the back door.
We all value the primary care team, which has GPs at its heart. I think that primary care is key to the recovery of the NHS, but it needs to be resourced. So far, the SNP has failed to do so adequately. It is true that we need to remobilise and that patients want more face-to-face consultations, but the Government needs to be honest and manage expectation. Above all, it needs to resource GPs and primary care so that they can play their full part in the recovery of the NHS. As the BMA said,
“we are open for business, but it’s not business as usual.”
I move amendment S6M-01217.1, to insert at end:
“; recognises the important contribution that GPs have made throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, including stepping up to support colleagues in acute care and administering vaccinations across the country, and regrets the Scottish Government’s failure to remedy the alarming shortage of GPs and staff in the wider primary care team, with the current workforce feeling overworked and undervalued, all of which will severely undermine a sustainable future for primary care in Scotland.”
16:56Motions, questions or amendments mentioned by their reference code.