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I know that this is an inquiry into excess deaths but, as you said, staff are exhausted. A recurring theme that we have seen is GPs feeling as though they are being blamed for a lot of the early diagnoses not happening and for a lot of the problems that we have seen as a result of Covid. GPs are feeling a lot of the pressure of that. We need to rebuild trust and a relationship with the public.

Last week, we were told that some GPs are being incentivised to retire earlier than they might have done because of the existing pensions and tax arrangements. I know that I am going off piste here a wee bittie, but we cannot deliver good healthcare if we do not have comfortable well-paid staff who want to be there and want to do the best that they can. If they are not enjoying the job any more, the healthcare system will suffer.

We can go through the situation for all staff, such as nurses, porters and doctors, but the specific issue of GP retirement was raised with the committee. I know that the Scottish Government has looked at that, and that you have spoken to the UK Government about it previously. What progress have you made? Has anything happened with regard to not incentivising GPs to retire earlier?

I will be quick. I know that I am taking up a lot of our time.

Skimming through the strategic framework update, I see that one of the paragraphs states:

“To inform the response to an outbreak of a potentially dangerous variant of COVID19, the Scottish Government with Public Health Scotland ... Local Government and other partners, are developing the COVID-19 Outbreak Management Plan, which will set out the process and methods for responding to future outbreaks. We aim to publish this in spring 2022.”

How far away are you from publishing the plan?

Thank you. We will come on to the legislative side of things.

Would the Government prefer to be able to continue to supply free tests for people who want to continue testing?

I understand that there might not be a huge amount of sympathy, but it takes 10 years to get a GP up to that standard, and we do not want them leaving the service 10 years sooner than they might otherwise have done.

That clarifies that point—thank you. However, to go back to John Mason’s point, if someone wishes to continue to test, perhaps not regularly but for a particular reason, such as to visit a care home or an elderly relative, the test will not be available free of charge as it currently is.

I whole-heartedly agree with Mr Mason.

Murdo Fraser has just said that, by and large, the people of this country follow the rules or guidance but I recall that, in the chamber earlier this week, Sandesh Gulhane opposed the wearing of masks, saying that most people do not wear them properly anyway. I do not see the consistency in the message. Right now, given the numbers that we have, it would be crazy to do anything other than keep the possibility of using restrictions if we need them.

I want to go back to Murdo Fraser’s original question about access to GPs and the hybrid model. Last week, I asked our witnesses whether we should give people the understanding that the hybrid model will be the way in which they see their GP in future. One response that I found interesting—I apologise, but I cannot remember the name of the lady who said it—was that it would very much depend on how the patients accept it, or words to that effect.

You say that we are going to proceed with the hybrid model. Does the Scottish Government have to do a messaging job to get people to understand that? How will you put people’s minds at ease about how they will be seen going forward?

Okay. I genuinely take your point, but I am asking these questions. We are also talking about people’s perception of where we are with the virus. You spoke earlier—quite rightly—about people seeing omicron as being okay because it is milder, and you want to flip that view around. However, it seems to me that taking away testing adds another layer of complacency to people’s thinking.

Okay—thank you. Do I have time to ask about outbreak management, convener?