Committee
Health, Social Care and Sport Committee 10 May 2022
10 May 2022 · S6 · Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
Item of business
Audit Scotland Report: “NHS in Scotland 2021”
On your first comment, I will, of course, take any questions that the committee wishes to ask. If we can give you the detail today, we will do so. As always, I will provide further written detail if that is required. As I said I my opening remarks, I thought that the Audit Scotland report on the NHS is a fair summary of the challenges and highlights the efforts that the Government has had to make during an extraordinary period. This period will be written about in our history books and learned about in our schools and modern studies classes until long after any of us are around. It has been extraordinary; I again commend all those who were involved for their extraordinary efforts. You asked specifically about the care and wellbeing portfolio. It would be fair to say that work on that portfolio has been affected by the pandemic: there is no doubt about that. One of my key officials—in fact, a joint director of that portfolio—was working on the test and protect system for us. We had to move crucial resources away from various parts of Government in order to focus on the response to the pandemic. The work is at the developmental stage. Officials are working to define the intended scope. There are a number of workstreams, which I will touch on. We are clear that the work of the care and wellbeing portfolio must be broader than just healthcare, and that how it interacts with other portfolios and other departments in Government will be crucial. The first meeting of the internal care and wellbeing portfolio board took place late last month. Your question about sustainability is absolutely on the money. Prevention will be a key element of the care and wellbeing portfolio. The committee has often spoken about the importance of that agenda, which is a vital part of the recovery and renewal of the NHS and social care. The care and wellbeing portfolio will be critical to that and will help to make our services more sustainable. If we stop people going into our hospitals and acute sites, or if we can keep them there for as short a time as possible if they do have to go there, that will be to their benefit and will help to make our services more sustainable. The portfolio’s approach is still being developed. It has three primary objectives: coherence, sustainability and improved outcomes. You asked about sustainability, which is one of the key objectives. As well as prevention, the care and wellbeing portfolio will also have a big focus on innovation and on developing infrastructure that can drive efficiency and productivity within our health and care systems.
In the same item of business
The Convener
SNP
Our second agenda item is an evidence session with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care on Audit Scotland’s “NHS in Scotland 2021” report. This s...
The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care (Humza Yousaf)
SNP
Good morning. I hope that all committee members are safe and well. All of us are present in person. It is good to be around the table and really good to see ...
The Convener
SNP
Thank you for that summary. My colleagues will ask questions on the detail of a lot of what you talked about. Some of the Audit Scotland report dovetails nic...
Humza Yousaf
SNP
On your first comment, I will, of course, take any questions that the committee wishes to ask. If we can give you the detail today, we will do so. As always,...
The Convener
SNP
I have one more question. I know that we are at the very early stages, but the public has expectations about the future of healthcare and wellbeing. Are we a...
Humza Yousaf
SNP
That is an excellent question. I regularly speak about that issue with the chief executives and chairs of our health boards, who have real anxiety about it. ...
The Convener
SNP
Sue Webber has questions on NHS reform.
Sue Webber (Lothian) (Con)
Con
You mentioned that we must change the way that we deliver our health and social care while maintaining access to services. You have also said that you and Jo...
Humza Yousaf
SNP
The question about the recovery plan is fair. It is purposely a five-year recovery plan. We will, of course, update Parliament yearly, as the plan says; that...
Sue Webber
Con
You mentioned that the NHS is under pressure; we know that. However, it is always under some form of pressure, and it was always under pressure during all th...
Humza Yousaf
SNP
I will make a couple of points. First, although I do not disagree that the NHS and social care are probably always under some form of pressure, I note, to be...
Sue Webber
Con
The question was about detail, not data.
Humza Yousaf
SNP
Data is a really important part of the detail. I will come back to the question about more detail in a second; data is crucial to that. That comes across fro...
Sandesh Gulhane (Glasgow) (Con)
Con
Good morning, cabinet secretary. When I see a patient in general practice and, for example, organise an X-ray or put them on to a waiting list to see a hospi...
Humza Yousaf
SNP
The plan would be to have that data. It is a fair expectation for the patient and for GPs or those who work in our health and social care system to have. We...
Sandesh Gulhane
Con
When do you expect that to be online?
Humza Yousaf
SNP
We intend to publish that data in late summer, but we will have to add to it. We will continue to have to ensure that it is live, which will be an iterative ...
Emma Harper (South Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
Good morning. As we come out of the pandemic, I am interested in the reform process and the use of technology that we have already. People have adopted the N...
Humza Yousaf
SNP
Yes, we must embed that technology in our system. We built on some of that technology out of necessity. Near Me existed before the pandemic, but it was used ...
Emma Harper
SNP
When it comes to screening such as bowel cancer and cervical cancer screening, if we screen people early, we can diagnose early, which means that the treatme...
Humza Yousaf
SNP
The committee could have a whole separate session on screening. I want to commend, on the record, our colleague Edward Mountain MSP, who I thought spoke very...
The Convener
SNP
We will now focus on workforce planning. We have alluded to it many times before, but David Torrance has specific questions on it. 10:00
David Torrance (Kirkcaldy) (SNP)
SNP
Good morning. The sections of Audit Scotland’s report on staffing and recruitment state that it would be “challenging to achieve” the plans to recruit and re...
Humza Yousaf
SNP
Yes, I am confident of that for a couple of reasons. First, on the wellbeing aspect, I am pleased that Audit Scotland’s report recognises the Government’s fo...
David Torrance
SNP
I was just coming to that. How will the implementation of the strategy be monitored, evaluated and reported?
Humza Yousaf
SNP
It will be monitored, evaluated and reported, of course. The current plans are to receive updated projections from our local health boards. We will then publ...
David Torrance
SNP
How have Brexit and the United Kingdom immigration policy affected the ability of the NHS to recruit additional staff? The cabinet secretary mentioned that t...
Humza Yousaf
SNP
I have tried not to stray into politics too much. Brexit has undoubtedly had an impact, which has been recognised by anyone who is involved in social care, i...
The Convener
SNP
On the other side of things, with regard to our home-grown future workforce and people wanting to enter the profession, the Scottish Government has put in pl...
Humza Yousaf
SNP
We have positive data on the increase in intake of student nurses and midwives, and that data speaks for itself. It might be difficult to say that the bursar...