Seòmar agus comataidhean

Absolutely. Irene Beautyman was talking a little bit about this. Can we really use planning as a tool to improve health services, especially in our rural areas?

I accept that the instrument merely makes corrections. However, I want to place on record the fact that I am against the idea of having a performers list. I think that it is outdated and something that we should be able to get rid of across the UK and in Scotland.

Thank you, convener. Covid-19 could obviously take up the entire evidence session, so I will focus my question. We have heard about the impact of Covid-19 on people with disabilities, and that has been well articulated. I would like to know what impact Covid-19 has had on young children based on their ethnicity. How do we get data and information around the prevalence of mental health issues not just in the ethnic community, but throughout children in Scotland?

I suppose that I can put that question to everyone, although if there is anyone in particular who has—

It is good to hear you talk about the positive aspects of the common framework. Does what you are saying also mean that there will be increased sharing in other areas of health research?

I am here, convener.

Thank you, convener. I could not agree more with the point about the need to fill the gap between universal and specialist care, but GPs like me struggle to know of all the organisations that are out there and all the forms of specialist care that are available. How can we ensure that people in primary care, health visitors and anyone else who might make referrals know that your organisations exist and can be accessed?

Thank you, convener. I will go straight back to Jacquie Pepper. When we are teenagers, we do silly things. We have all made little mistakes and errors, but that is how we learn, so that when we become adults, we do not make the same errors. Teenagers have lost that opportunity. What do you think the impact will be on that age group?

I am here and I hope that my connection keeps working.

We could spend the entire time that we have on the topic of Covid-19, but I know that time is short. At the start of the evidence session, we heard about the loss of socialising for kids and the loss of the ability—which we all had—to make mistakes and errors as children. We know that there has been a huge impact on all services. I know that this will be hard to answer. What impact will Covid have on our young people’s current and future development? What should we do to mitigate that? What services should we set up in the future? Those three questions go first to Heather Connolly and Jacquie Pepper.

The more detailed table says that the distinction awards are

“designed to provide competitive remuneration packages for consultants and ensure we attract and retain the right calibre ... of employees”.

Without the distinction awards, how are we achieving that?

NHS Ayrshire and Arran overspent on previous budgets, as have a number of health boards. It also looks like NHS Ayrshire and Arran requires significant transformational change, particularly in acute services. To me, that is a bit of a worry, given where we are at the moment.

My first question is: will you write off health boards’ previous budget overspends? My second question is: what is being done with regard to the significant transitional changes that are required in relation to NHS Ayrshire and Arran?