Meeting of the Parliament 18 January 2023
I absolutely think that we will see an improvement in Lanarkshire. I have spoken to the new chief executive, Jann Gardner, and I urge Monica Lennon to do so if she has not had the opportunity. I have been very impressed by the ideas that Jann Gardner has brought forward to try to make improvements in Lanarkshire. It is well worth Monica Lennon’s time to speak to the new chief executive.
I have no doubt that we still have challenging times ahead in our NHS, but I remain confident that, with the combined efforts of an incredible workforce and the will of the Government, as outlined in the amendment in my name, those challenges will be met and overcome.
I end where I started, by paying tribute to our brilliant NHS and social care staff, who provide exceptional care during the most challenging times. I offer them a promise that we will honour them not just by our warm words, but by our deeds.
I move amendment S6M-07538.2, to leave out from “is deeply” to end and insert:
“recognises the unprecedented pressure that NHS and care staff have faced over the winter and thanks them for all their efforts in caring for the people of Scotland at this challenging time; notes that these are challenges that are being faced across the UK and beyond; recognises that the triple impact of Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic and the UK Government’s cost of living crisis has exacerbated the pressures faced by the health service; believes that freedom of movement within Europe would be beneficial to help addressing recruitment challenges, and that the only route to securing that is membership of the European Union; welcomes that constructive industrial relations in Scotland’s health service mean that Scotland is the only part of the UK not experiencing strike action from health staff this winter; notes the ongoing £1 billion NHS Recovery Plan, which is supporting new ways of delivering care that are creating additional capacity for inpatients, day case patients and outpatients, including investment to support the four National Treatment Centres (NTC) due to open over 2023; recognises that the expanded NTC network will provide additional capacity of eight additional orthopaedic theatres, an additional inpatient/day case ward, five endoscopy rooms and two general theatres, initially providing over 12,250 additional procedures, dependent on workforce; welcomes the Scottish Government’s draft Budget, which included additional investment to increase adult social care wages, and believes that, through the creation of the National Care Service, there is a real opportunity for underpinning fair work in social care and delivering national sectoral bargaining for social care workers.”
15:12Motions, questions or amendments mentioned by their reference code.