Chamber
Plenary, 30 May 2002
30 May 2002 · S1 · Plenary
Item of business
Cancer Strategy
I welcome the tone of today's debate, in particular the tone of Nicola Sturgeon's speech. I am pleased by the minister's approach to the cancer strategy and by the motion's realistic acknowledgement of the problems that were highlighted by the Clinical Standards Board for Scotland. No one in the chamber can be complacent and I do not think that anyone is. I am also glad to see that no one is being aggressively unreasonable in the debate.
Last week, I mentioned the new cancer suite that is being constructed at the Borders general hospital. It will put positive aspects of the cancer strategy into practice. There will be better facilities for clinical management and routine treatments will be available closer to home for people in the Borders. There will be improved facilities for consultation, counselling and palliative care. There will be growing expertise among the nursing staff. Liaison will be improved across specialties and among the primary care service, carers and relatives in the community. Patients' lives will be improved substantially. It is a good model.
However, the benefits are contingent on adequate staffing levels and speedy referrals and diagnosis. I know that ministers are anxious to shorten the lines of communication between primary care and the consultant, and to shorten the waiting time between tests and communication of the results of those tests. It is crucial that we save patients from the heart-stopping fear and apprehension that accompany that wait. It is a desperately anxious period of suspended animation, which must be shortened as soon as possible. The announcement of the referral guidance is, therefore, welcome.
I know that ministers are only too aware of the difficulties that face us in raising the profile of massively important cancers such as prostate, colorectal and oral cancer. In previous debates, I have mentioned Ben Walton, who was a former pupil of mine and who died after contracting oral cancer. I mention him again for two reasons. First, Ben was in his final year as a student at the University of Aberdeen when he died after contracting oral cancer. Secondly, his parents set up a trust and were instrumental in drawing together the Scottish oral cancer action group.
Mary Scanlon mentioned oral cancer, which has high morbidity and mortality rates. The mortality rate is not falling, but the incidence of the disease is increasing and its pattern is changing. The incidence among young men and, worryingly, among young women is rising. Margaret Smith reminded me earlier that the incidence of lung cancer among young women is also rising. Smoking, alcohol consumption and diet are important factors in those increases, but with oral cancer, many patients who contract the disease do not have the expected lifestyle. It is possible that viral infection or genetic factors are involved. I hope that the ministers will recognise that more research is required.
We must educate the public on the dangers and the lifestyle factors that contribute to oral cancer and we need to raise the disease's profile among professionals. Because early diagnosis is vital, we must help those in primary care—GPs and others—to understand the disease. There should be more courses in Scotland to give people access to information on the disease. Dental professionals are in the front line because they can spot the disease early. Given the incidence of oral cancer, a case can be made for the reintroduction of free dental checks.
We spoke two weeks ago about the modernising agenda. Pharmacists are often the first source of advice when people have ulcers that do not seem to heal. We should recognise pharmacists' role in the prevention of the disease and ensure that there are direct lines of communication between GPs and pharmacists and between hospitals and consultants.
I welcome the strategy and I ask the minister to give a commitment to raising public and professional awareness of all aspects of cancer. I make a special plea for the consideration of oral cancer.
Last week, I mentioned the new cancer suite that is being constructed at the Borders general hospital. It will put positive aspects of the cancer strategy into practice. There will be better facilities for clinical management and routine treatments will be available closer to home for people in the Borders. There will be improved facilities for consultation, counselling and palliative care. There will be growing expertise among the nursing staff. Liaison will be improved across specialties and among the primary care service, carers and relatives in the community. Patients' lives will be improved substantially. It is a good model.
However, the benefits are contingent on adequate staffing levels and speedy referrals and diagnosis. I know that ministers are anxious to shorten the lines of communication between primary care and the consultant, and to shorten the waiting time between tests and communication of the results of those tests. It is crucial that we save patients from the heart-stopping fear and apprehension that accompany that wait. It is a desperately anxious period of suspended animation, which must be shortened as soon as possible. The announcement of the referral guidance is, therefore, welcome.
I know that ministers are only too aware of the difficulties that face us in raising the profile of massively important cancers such as prostate, colorectal and oral cancer. In previous debates, I have mentioned Ben Walton, who was a former pupil of mine and who died after contracting oral cancer. I mention him again for two reasons. First, Ben was in his final year as a student at the University of Aberdeen when he died after contracting oral cancer. Secondly, his parents set up a trust and were instrumental in drawing together the Scottish oral cancer action group.
Mary Scanlon mentioned oral cancer, which has high morbidity and mortality rates. The mortality rate is not falling, but the incidence of the disease is increasing and its pattern is changing. The incidence among young men and, worryingly, among young women is rising. Margaret Smith reminded me earlier that the incidence of lung cancer among young women is also rising. Smoking, alcohol consumption and diet are important factors in those increases, but with oral cancer, many patients who contract the disease do not have the expected lifestyle. It is possible that viral infection or genetic factors are involved. I hope that the ministers will recognise that more research is required.
We must educate the public on the dangers and the lifestyle factors that contribute to oral cancer and we need to raise the disease's profile among professionals. Because early diagnosis is vital, we must help those in primary care—GPs and others—to understand the disease. There should be more courses in Scotland to give people access to information on the disease. Dental professionals are in the front line because they can spot the disease early. Given the incidence of oral cancer, a case can be made for the reintroduction of free dental checks.
We spoke two weeks ago about the modernising agenda. Pharmacists are often the first source of advice when people have ulcers that do not seem to heal. We should recognise pharmacists' role in the prevention of the disease and ensure that there are direct lines of communication between GPs and pharmacists and between hospitals and consultants.
I welcome the strategy and I ask the minister to give a commitment to raising public and professional awareness of all aspects of cancer. I make a special plea for the consideration of oral cancer.
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Sir David Steel):
NPA
We come now to a debate on motion S1M-3160, in the name of Malcolm Chisholm, on implementing the cancer strategy. I invite those who wish to take part in the...
The Minister for Health and Community Care (Malcolm Chisholm):
Lab
The cancer strategy is a major programme of investment and reform that covers staffing, diagnosis, treatment and palliative care, prevention, screening, info...
Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
I am pleased to hear about the equipment. I hope that on this occasion, unlike when the minister's predecessor announced five new MRI scanners, the minister ...
Malcolm Chisholm:
Lab
We have not only asked the service what it wants—the service has decided what it wants. If Brian Adam had been listening, he would know that we are making th...
Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab):
Lab
Will the minister confirm that, on our joint visit to the Beatson last week, nursing staff said that they were delighted by the positive signs in nurse recru...
Malcolm Chisholm:
Lab
I agree with Pauline McNeill. Indeed, at a conference that I attended in Aberdeen this morning, Jim Cassidy spoke very highly of what was happening, despite ...
Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP):
SNP
At the start of this important debate I say that our thoughts, and I am sure the thoughts of everyone in the chamber, are with our colleague Margaret Ewing. ...
Malcolm Chisholm:
Lab
The medical director post will be advertised in due course, but Adam Bryson will stay there for a little longer. I recognise the problem of consultant work l...
Nicola Sturgeon:
SNP
I will come to the issue of recruitment. I welcome the minister's statement. I raise those points not to be negative—I say that genuinely—but to remind us al...
Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con):
Con
I associate the Conservatives with the comments that have been made about Margaret Ewing. I ask Fergus Ewing to pass on our very best wishes.As the Scottish ...
Mrs Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD):
LD
I am delighted to be able to take part in the debate today in Aberdeen. Over the past few days, the city has given us a great welcome. I want to put on recor...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Mr George Reid):
SNP
Eight members want to speak and there are only 23 minutes for the open debate, which will not work, so I suspect that two members will have to drop out. I ca...
Mr Kenneth Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab):
Lab
I begin by welcoming the contributions that we have heard so far from members on all sides of the chamber. Politics often involves competing priorities and a...
Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP):
SNP
I thank the Scottish Cancer Group for its input to the cancer strategy document. Reading through it, I find that it gives an honest appraisal of the situatio...
John Scott (Ayr) (Con):
Con
I want to draw members' attention to cancer care services in the west of Scotland and their effect on Ayrshire patients. It is to be regretted that the Beats...
Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab):
Lab
John Scott referred to patients in Ayrshire and Arran. Does he accept that the shared-care approach that has been embraced by the consultants in acute hospit...
John Scott:
Con
As Margaret Jamieson knows, I welcome any approaches that are being made to address a difficult situation. The reality is that it is still not a good situati...
Ian Jenkins (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD):
LD
I welcome the tone of today's debate, in particular the tone of Nicola Sturgeon's speech. I am pleased by the minister's approach to the cancer strategy and ...
Janis Hughes (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab):
Lab
It is fitting that the Parliament should devote time to cancer, given that it is Scotland's biggest killer. As Sandra White said, lung cancer rates in the we...
Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (Ind):
Ind
All members will agree that Aberdeen is sending us home healthier and happier than we were when we arrived. These have been truly golden days.I thank Richard...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Mr Murray Tosh):
Con
My apologies go to two members who had hoped to be included in the debate; however, I must move now to closing speeches. I call George Lyon to close for the ...
George Lyon (Argyll and Bute) (LD):
LD
I welcome the tone of the debate, which has dealt consensually with the serious subject of cancer in Scotland.The minister outlined what he hopes to achieve ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Con
I must explain to members that there is a mistake in the script that was provided to the Presiding Officers, which meant that I called the first closing spea...
Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab):
Lab
Last week, the Finance Committee heard from Andy Kerr that the money identified by Gordon Brown as being available for health in the UK would not necessarily...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Con
In the interests of equity, I invite a brief speech from Linda Fabiani.
Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
I am glad that I came back into the chamber and discovered your error.
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Con
So am I.
Linda Fabiani:
SNP
So is Mary Scanlon.Everything that has been said has been consensual. All members present welcome the acknowledgement that we must have a strategy for cancer...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Con
We return to the closing round.
Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Con):
Con
The Scottish Conservatives welcome the chance to participate in an important debate on the planning and development of future services for dealing with cance...