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Hansard

Every contribution to the Official Report — chamber and committee — searchable in one place. Pulled from data.parliament.scot, indexed for full-text search, linked through to every MSP.

129
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415
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2,354,908
Hansard contributions
1999–2026
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Official Report

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Showing 60 of 2,354,908 contributions. Latest 30 days: 0. Coverage: 12 May 1999 — 25 Mar 2026.
Stephanie Callaghan SNP Committee
14 May 2025
“General practice: Progress since the 2018 General Medical Services contract”
I am interested in the progress on improving patient care. We have already spoken a bit about the fact that people are finding it more difficult to access healthcare at their general practice. It is no surprise that the Scottish Government has been commissioning some initiativ...
Stephanie Callaghan (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) SNP Chamber
10 Nov 2022
Alternative Pathways to Primary Care
I thank primary care staff and everyone who provided evidence to our committee, including patients who told us their personal stories. I also thank the other members of the committee, especially our convener, Gillian Martin. As other members have said, primary care is the bac...
Stephanie Callaghan (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) SNP Chamber
26 Oct 2021
UK Malnutrition Awareness Week 2021 (Older People)
I, too, thank Clare Adamson for bringing the debate to the chamber. It is sobering to take part in a debate on malnutrition. As we head into the second winter of the pandemic, malnutrition awareness week is especially important and poignant. The pandemic has highlighted the fr...
Stephanie Callaghan SNP Chamber
09 Mar 2023
General Question Time · NHS Lanarkshire (Engagement)
The Lanarkshire local medical committee represents general practices across Lanarkshire. It tells me that it has significant concerns around the vast increase in the number of patients seeking fit notes from their general practitioner when the fit note should have been issued ...
Stephanie Callaghan SNP Committee
14 May 2025
“General practice: Progress since the 2018 General Medical Services contract”
That is really helpful. To a degree, you have pre-empted my next question. I am interested to hear about the case study that the Auditor General mentioned.
Stephanie Callaghan SNP Committee
14 May 2025
“General practice: Progress since the 2018 General Medical Services contract”
There is certainly some good stuff to hear about. We need to value the third sector. It will be good to have that report when it is published next year and to have a wee look at it. I go back to the issues around people’s understanding of the changes to GP surgeries. What act...
Stephanie Callaghan SNP Committee
14 May 2025
“General practice: Progress since the 2018 General Medical Services contract”
Yes, absolutely, Stephen—you are bang on there. It is a really big and important topic for the people who we represent. I am also a bit curious about whether it is the role of only the Scottish Government to explain to people what is happening in GP practices, the fact that p...
Stephanie Callaghan (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) SNP Committee
18 Jun 2025
“General practice: Progress since the 2018 General Medical Services contract”
I thank all the witnesses for joining us—it is much appreciated. We all know that general practice is changing; the difficulty lies in getting that message across to patients so that they understand the evolving roles of the multidisciplinary teams. They need to understand th...
Stephanie Callaghan SNP Committee
18 Jun 2025
“General practice: Progress since the 2018 General Medical Services contract”
It sounds like it is about trust and confidence in GPs. You were talking about physiotherapy. Your confidence in GPs’ expertise perhaps also plays a role. Is there anything else that the Scottish general practitioners committee could be doing to help to tackle that issue?
Stephanie Callaghan SNP Committee
18 Jun 2025
“General practice: Progress since the 2018 General Medical Services contract”
Sorry—I am happy for someone else to come in, but I am really interested in the issue of the Scottish general practitioners committee supporting GPs to provide effective comms and tackle the current negative narrative around GPs. If you could comment on that, that would be great.
Stephanie Callaghan SNP Committee
18 Jun 2025
“General practice: Progress since the 2018 General Medical Services contract”
I will move on to GP clusters. The Auditor General’s report stated—I think that this is something that can be agreed on—that the Scottish Government has made limited progress on creating the necessary conditions for GP clusters to succeed. What has been the impact of the recom...
Stephanie Callaghan SNP Committee
18 Jun 2025
“General practice: Progress since the 2018 General Medical Services contract”
I will move on. The recent programme for government aims to target the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Will you explain how you expect that to improve overall access to general practice?
Stephanie Callaghan (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) SNP Chamber
09 Dec 2021
General Question Time · National Health Service Recovery Plan
I ask the Scottish Government for an update on the provision of increasing support to general practice from a range of healthcare professionals, including pharmacists and physiotherapists.
Stephanie Callaghan SNP Chamber
19 Apr 2023
Portfolio Question Time · NHS Lanarkshire Public Health Annual Report 2021-22
The report highlights the profound and disproportionate impact that Covid-19 has had on residents who are living in the most deprived areas of my constituency. As the minister said, that has been exacerbated by the current Tory cost of living crisis. Although the additional £1...
Stephanie Callaghan SNP Committee
14 May 2025
“General practice: Progress since the 2018 General Medical Services contract”
That is great, because building trust is absolutely critical. At a local level, that can be quite powerful. I do not know whether you would want to comment on this, but, earlier, we were talking about the drop in levels of satisfaction in NHS Lanarkshire, which might be a sym...
Stephanie Callaghan SNP Committee
18 Jun 2025
“General practice: Progress since the 2018 General Medical Services contract”
Perhaps you could expand on that a bit and say what differences, in your view, those websites have made on the ground.
Stephanie Callaghan SNP Committee
18 Jun 2025
“General practice: Progress since the 2018 General Medical Services contract”
I appreciate that.
Stephanie Callaghan SNP Committee
18 Jun 2025
“General practice: Progress since the 2018 General Medical Services contract”
It is interesting that all of you have mentioned the importance of the feeling of continuity of care and trust from patients. That is an absolute priority and it is so important to patients’ wellbeing. I will touch on health inequalities later on. In your view, what action sh...
Stephanie Callaghan SNP Committee
18 Jun 2025
“General practice: Progress since the 2018 General Medical Services contract”
Do you have any positive examples just now of GP practices where that has been working quite well? Can we learn lessons from that? Could information be shared that would help improve the process across the board?
Stephanie Callaghan SNP Committee
18 Jun 2025
“General practice: Progress since the 2018 General Medical Services contract”
Thanks. I would be happy to take other comments.
Stephanie Callaghan SNP Committee
18 Jun 2025
“General practice: Progress since the 2018 General Medical Services contract”
Are there any specific things that the Scottish Government should be doing to support you?
Stephanie Callaghan SNP Committee
18 Jun 2025
“General practice: Progress since the 2018 General Medical Services contract”
Yes.
Stephanie Callaghan SNP Committee
18 Jun 2025
“General practice: Progress since the 2018 General Medical Services contract”
On that point, would having those 10 afternoon sessions back have a huge impact, or have things moved on from there so that you would now be looking for something different?
Stephanie Callaghan SNP Committee
18 Jun 2025
“General practice: Progress since the 2018 General Medical Services contract”
Yes—thank you, convener.
Stephanie Callaghan SNP Committee
18 Jun 2025
“General practice: Progress since the 2018 General Medical Services contract”
I am hoping that you can hear me okay, convener; my sound was a bit strange earlier.
Stephanie Callaghan SNP Committee
18 Jun 2025
“General practice: Progress since the 2018 General Medical Services contract”
Oh!
Stephanie Callaghan SNP Committee
18 Jun 2025
“General practice: Progress since the 2018 General Medical Services contract”
I ask Caroline Lamb whether she can explain the reasons why patients are struggling to access GPs and why they are less satisfied with GP services relative to 2017-18.
Stephanie Callaghan SNP Committee
18 Jun 2025
“General practice: Progress since the 2018 General Medical Services contract”
Presumably, that is about increased pressure, with the older demographic increasing. The committee has also heard about the impact of waiting lists for secondary care. I am also interested in the plans that are in place to improve the public’s understanding of the changes to t...
Stephanie Callaghan SNP Committee
18 Jun 2025
“General practice: Progress since the 2018 General Medical Services contract”
Is that enough? We heard earlier that the continuity and trust in the personal relationship with GPs are really important for patients. Have we got the balance right? Does there need to be more focus on that aspect? What are your thoughts on that?
Stephanie Callaghan SNP Committee
18 Jun 2025
“General practice: Progress since the 2018 General Medical Services contract”
Is there a recognition of the importance of GPs having that holistic view of a patient’s overall health?
Stephanie Callaghan SNP Committee
18 Jun 2025
“General practice: Progress since the 2018 General Medical Services contract”
That is a really interesting prospect. I have not yet had a chance to read yesterday’s report. I have a final question. From what you have said already, I wonder whether there is any intention to consider incorporating, for example, mental health issues or adverse childhood e...
Stephanie Callaghan SNP Committee
18 Jun 2025
“General practice: Progress since the 2018 General Medical Services contract”
Thank you.
Stephanie Callaghan SNP Committee
21 Sep 2021
Public Health Stakeholder Session
It is fine to ask for general comments.
Stephanie Callaghan (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) SNP Chamber
11 Nov 2021
Portfolio Question Time · Discover Cyber Skills Programme
Both Skills Development Scotland and the General Teaching Council for Scotland have previously noted the value of bringing computer experts into the classroom to upskill teachers and pupils on issues such as cybersecurity. Has the Scottish Government any plans to bring further...
Stephanie Callaghan (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) SNP Committee
16 Nov 2021
Session 6 Priorities
I have a couple of wee questions. Thank you for being here this morning, minister. I want to ask you a little bit more about prevention. Earlier, you mentioned school counsellors and mental health link workers in general practices. We have heard quite a lot of evidence on vari...
Stephanie Callaghan SNP Committee
24 Nov 2021
Children and Young People and Deprivation (Impact of Covid-19)
You have touched on a lot of important points, some of which will be picked up later by my colleagues. It is good to hear about the Scottish Government’s focus on wellbeing, childcare and so on, and that we are on the right track with that. I have a direct question for John D...
Stephanie Callaghan (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) SNP Chamber
02 Dec 2021
International Day of Persons with Disabilities
I thank Pam for bringing the debate to the chamber. I will touch on many of the same points that she did, because they are very important points to make. Although the international day of people with disabilities should be a time to celebrate and embrace the many and varied a...
Stephanie Callaghan (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) SNP Chamber
09 Dec 2021
Human Rights Day 2021
I thank my colleague Fulton MacGregor for bringing the debate to the chamber. As has been said, tomorrow we celebrate human rights, in commemoration of the day in 1948 on which the UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. That declaration forms th...
Stephanie Callaghan SNP Committee
08 Dec 2021
Skills: Alignment with Business Needs
I thank the panel for coming along today. I have a question for Professor Logan. I asked Shirley-Anne Somerville a question on the subject in Parliament, noting that Skills Development Scotland and the General Teaching Council for Scotland have noted the value of bringing comp...
Stephanie Callaghan (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) SNP Chamber
20 Jan 2022
General Question Time · Shotts Railway Station (Accessibility)
Has the Scottish Government had any communications with ScotRail regarding the impact on the most vulnerable rail users of reducing operating hours at Bellshill train station?
Stephanie Callaghan SNP Committee
18 Jan 2022
Health and Wellbeing of Children and Young People
I realise that you are probably talking about carers and families getting the support that they need from health and social care workers to do that well. On a wider and more general level, what training needs exist in the health and social care workforce in relation to sexual ...
Stephanie Callaghan (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) SNP Chamber
03 Feb 2022
General Question Time · Four-day Working Week (Trials)
What is the Scottish Government’s reaction to the recent report by Autonomy that suggests that, even under the worst-case scenario, a four-day working week would be affordable for most businesses once the initial phase of the Covid-19 pandemic has passed?
Stephanie Callaghan (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) SNP Chamber
10 Mar 2022
General Question Time · United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill
The “Make it right” campaign, which is led by the young people of North Lanarkshire, is encouraging other local children to better understand their rights. The young people have even created and starred in their own social media video. What steps is the Scottish Government ta...
Stephanie Callaghan (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) SNP Chamber
24 Mar 2022
General Question Time · Apprenticeships
I appreciate the minister’s answers so far. Can he comment more widely on any Scottish Government plans to strengthen the partnership working between secondary schools, businesses and colleges, particularly on trade apprenticeships, to ensure that young people have a chance to...
8. Stephanie Callaghan (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) SNP Chamber
30 Mar 2022
Portfolio Question Time · Covid-19 (Ending of Free Testing)
To ask the Scottish Government whether the number of people in hospital with Covid-19 recently reaching the highest level since the pandemic began has impacted on its modelling and risk assessment regarding the ending of free testing for the general population from 30 April. (...
Stephanie Callaghan (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) SNP Chamber
21 Apr 2022
General Question Time · National Health Service (Rural Areas)
Recruitment of new staff to the health service will play a crucial role in supporting the recovery of our NHS. Can the cabinet secretary provide an update on progress since the launch of the recruitment drive in October, and can he outline how measures in the “National Workfor...
6. Stephanie Callaghan (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) SNP Chamber
28 Apr 2022
General Question Time · NHS Scotland COVID Status App
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to extend the NHS Scotland COVID Status app to 12 to 15-year-olds in order to support the increasing number of families that are returning to international travel. (S6O-01019)
Stephanie Callaghan SNP Chamber
28 Apr 2022
General Question Time · NHS Scotland COVID Status App
More broadly and looking forward, does the Scottish Government see an on-going need to maintain and develop similar applications as part of its preparation for future pandemics?
Stephanie Callaghan (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) SNP Chamber
28 Apr 2022
Global Intergenerational Week 2022
I, too, thank Jackie Dunbar for securing the debate. It has been great to listen to what everyone has had to say. I will try to keep my comments quite light. Global intergenerational week provides an opportunity to strengthen intergenerational bonds, communities and our respo...
Stephanie Callaghan (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) SNP Chamber
27 Oct 2022
General Question Time · Planning Policy (Mixed Energy Generation Methods)
Will the Scottish Government include initiatives to respond to a range of barriers that currently act as a disincentive to planning for further solar deployment? Will the new energy strategy include targets to grow Scotland’s solar generation capacity, which is currently aroun...
Stephanie Callaghan SNP Chamber
01 Nov 2022
World Menopause Month
Thank you, Presiding Officer. I thank Siobhian Brown for bringing this debate on menopause month to the chamber. Women make up half the population, and we need to be open about the issue and find ways to support them during this stage of their lives. It is vital that there i...
Stephanie Callaghan (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) SNP Chamber
15 Dec 2022
General Question Time · Specialist Medical Equipment (Procurement)
Does the cabinet secretary agree and accept that the Scottish Government can learn from the potentially fraudulent mistakes of the United Kingdom Government by ruling out the use of VIP procurement lanes?
8. Stephanie Callaghan (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) SNP Chamber
09 Feb 2023
General Question Time · 2032 Affordable Housing Target
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress towards its 2032 affordable housing target. (S6O-01899)
Stephanie Callaghan SNP Chamber
09 Feb 2023
General Question Time · 2032 Affordable Housing Target
What evidence does the Scottish Government have that increased provision of affordable housing is having a positive impact on the wellbeing of Scotland’s citizens? How does that compare with other UK nations?
5. Stephanie Callaghan (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) SNP Chamber
09 Mar 2023
General Question Time · NHS Lanarkshire (Engagement)
To ask the Scottish Government when it last engaged with NHS Lanarkshire. (S6O-01992)
Stephanie Callaghan SNP Chamber
09 Mar 2023
General Question Time · NHS Lanarkshire (Engagement)
—for patients who are referred to Glasgow hospitals, so there is a wider issue. What steps can be taken to ensure that hospital consultants are issuing fit notes to patients to reduce the unnecessary pressure on GPs?
Stephanie Callaghan SNP Committee
14 Mar 2023
Female Participation in Sport and Physical Activity
We focused on play earlier, and it is important to note that play is not just for little kids. It is for teenagers and older children, and it is also for adults. However, when the general public sees play, especially among older teenagers at secondary school, people are quite...
Stephanie Callaghan (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) SNP Chamber
04 May 2023
Firefighters Memorial Day 2023
Like others, I thank Bill Kidd for bringing this debate on firefighters memorial day to the chamber. It is always a tragedy when a professional loses their life in the line of duty, so I stand today in solidarity to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice and to r...
Stephanie Callaghan SNP Chamber
10 May 2023
Patient Safety Commissioner for Scotland Bill: Stage 1
Absolutely. I thank Carol for also bringing up endometriosis. The situation is a clear impediment to securing a correct diagnosis and the right support for people. Irene Oldfather from the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland spoke for many women when she said: “To say ...
Stephanie Callaghan SNP Chamber
11 May 2023
Portfolio Question Time · Social Security Scotland
I thank the cabinet secretary for providing that clarity. The application for adult disability payment from one of my constituents was delayed due to their general practitioner taking over five weeks to provide the key health information required for their application to prog...
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Committee

Public Audit Committee 14 May 2025

14 May 2025 · S6 · Public Audit Committee
Item of business
“General practice: Progress since the 2018 General Medical Services contract”
Callaghan, Stephanie SNP Uddingston and Bellshill Watch on SPTV

I am interested in the progress on improving patient care. We have already spoken a bit about the fact that people are finding it more difficult to access healthcare at their general practice. It is no surprise that the Scottish Government has been commissioning some initiatives to help to address the issue. One example is the primary care access programme, which supports general practice teams to use data—we are talking about data again—to identify areas for improvement and then to look at improving an aspect of access over a short period. Do you have any views on the steps that the Scottish Government is taking to address concerns about people’s access to healthcare at their general practice? I am interested in any positive examples of areas where progress has been made.

In the same item of business

The Convener Lab
Agenda item 3 is consideration of the report by the Auditor General for Scotland “General practice: Progress since the 2018 General Medical Services contract...
Stephen Boyle (Auditor General for Scotland)
Many thanks, convener. Good morning to you and to the committee. As you mentioned, I am bringing to the committee my report on general practice, which consi...
The Convener Lab
Thank you for that outline. I will go straight to Graham Simpson, who will open the questions.
Graham Simpson (Central Scotland) (Con) Con
Good morning to you, Auditor General, and to your team. This is a damning report, but for those of us who occasionally have to use GPs, it probably tells us...
Stephen Boyle
There is a lot in your question, and I will try to address all of that through our responses. As ever, if I omit something, please remind me; I will try to c...
Eva Thomas-Tudo (Audit Scotland)
I am happy to provide a bit more information. Our understanding is that the announcement provides more detail—as the Auditor General highlighted—on the £10.5...
Stephen Boyle
I am happy to take any follow-up questions, Mr Simpson, but I will address—
Graham Simpson Con
Okay. Sorry—have you finished?
Stephen Boyle
I am sure that we will cover more of what I was going to say in a moment, so I am happy to pause.
Graham Simpson Con
It strikes me that, if we want to end the 8 am rush—it is not just the First Minister who is saying that he wants to do that; other political leaders have sa...
Stephen Boyle
One feature of the report—again, this theme will be familiar to the committee—concerns the adequacy and quality of data in primary care health services in Sc...
Fiona Lees (Audit Scotland)
To answer your question, Mr Simpson, we do not know exactly how many practices allow online booking. We know that some do, through their websites or external...
Graham Simpson Con
In fact, they are not required to supply that data.
Fiona Lees
We did not ask that question, so I could not say that for sure. However, as far as we are aware, there is no centrally held list that has that information. I...
Stephen Boyle
I mentioned the work that the national boards are undertaking and the fact that there are plans and aspirations for greater consistency and better data. Ther...
Graham Simpson Con
I will come back to data later. For now, I go back to the pressures that GPs are under, which are due to a lack of GPs and a large number of patients. In par...
Stephen Boyle
First, you quite rightly draw attention to the difference between the number of people who are registered with a GP and the overall Scottish population, as p...
Graham Simpson Con
Yes, I noted that. I live in Lanarkshire and I am happy with my current GP, but that is only after having moved GPs because I could not get an appointment wi...
Stephen Boyle
I will bring in the team to set out some of the engagement that we have had—Carol Calder can speak to that point in a moment. We share the concern that I inf...
Carol Calder (Audit Scotland)
We found in the audit a lack of transparency around the spend and the impact of those six priorities. We do not know what full implementation of those priori...
Graham Simpson Con
Thank you for that. The report says that the Government’s most recent annual progress report highlights that 3,540 of the 4,925 whole-time equivalent staff w...
Stephen Boyle
I will ask colleagues to come in on that. You refer to exhibit 4 in the report, which sets out spending through the primary care improvement fund compared wi...
Fiona Lees
To answer your question, no, we do not know how the rest of those staff were funded. We know that money is coming through boards. Eva Thomas-Tudo looked at t...
Eva Thomas-Tudo
Yes, I am happy to. As others have said, there is a lack of transparency about the full amount that is spent on the six priority services. HSCPs are asked to...
Graham Simpson Con
I have to say that that is all very concerning indeed. That lack of transparency is a feature of your report. Moving on to a different issue, you say in par...
Stephen Boyle
I will ask Carol Calder to set out the detail of paragraph 100 of the report, and the reason why we made such a judgment in relation to the requests for fund...
Carol Calder
Originally, £30 million was committed between 2018 and 2021 for sustainability loans. Those GP practices that applied for the loans would get 20 per cent of ...
Graham Simpson Con
Sorry—I still have one final question. I know that I have taken up a lot of time, but there is a lot to cover. Given the state of health boards’ finances, w...
Carol Calder
There was funding available, and committed, back in 2018. With regard to health boards taking on the leases of those premises that are rented rather than own...
Stephen Boyle
To add to that, I direct the committee to the recommendations on page 7, in particular the final recommendation in the report, which is for the Scottish Gove...