Meeting of the Parliament 10 November 2022
I understand why SNP members do not want to talk about this stuff, because their failure over the past 15 years has been lamentable. It has been a disgrace and—of course—it has had a direct impact on delivery of alternative pathways to primary care. If the core service is not working properly, of course it will not be possible to change the service in the way that the committee quite rightly identifies as being necessary.
This is something that I have passionately believed in for a long time. I have done a lot of work on social prescribing and on making sure that we have mental health professionals alongside GPs in general practices. However, the context is deeply damaging. I understand that the Government and its SNP back benchers do not want to talk about it, but I certainly will, because I have a responsibility to make sure that people understand the failings of the Government.
In saying that, I will give the health secretary a bit of credit. I note that he responded positively to the calls from the BMA for pension contributions with a new recycled employer contribution—REC—scheme to make sure that staff are not deterred from working extra hours, because they were, in effect, paying for the privilege of working for the NHS. I am thankful that the cabinet secretary has agreed to that change, which means that we will be able to free up extra capacity for doctors to help the NHS. That is a positive change.
I have other positive suggestions that the cabinet secretary could also adopt. Resolution of the pay dispute with nurses would be good, as would retaining and recruiting the promised 800 GPs by 2027. He could sort out social care problems, which are so fundamental to the operation of our national care service, deliver the mental health strategy and the 800 additional workers that have been promised. He could lead a programme to help to inform patients about how to access primary care with alternative pathways, in order to make sure that that system works, too. He could improve easy access to, and knowledge and provision of, alternative services, including social prescribing.
I hope that the cabinet secretary will do all those things. I support the committee’s recommendations on self referral, ALISS, the role of the receptionist, the single patient record and digital improvements. I am enthusiastic about those things and am an enthusiastic advocate for those things. Health professionals are, too, but they have very little time to breathe at the present time, which is why all those issues need to be resolved.
I will conclude on a letter that I received from the Auchtermuchty health centre, in my constituency. The letter talks of the system being fragile, and of there being bigger patient lists but fewer staff, and it talks about astonishment at cuts to funds. Finally, the letter says:
“In future, when your constituents complain to you about the lack of GP appointments and services at Auchtermuchty Health Centre, we hope you will ... be honest with them about the limitations of general practice in Scotland and who is responsible for the policy decisions which have led to, and exacerbated, the crisis....”
I hope that I have done that today.
15:37