All Official Reports of public meetings of committees.
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Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
Meeting date: 10 January 2023
Dr. Sandesh Gulhane
Hello, cabinet secretary.
Just yesterday, the First Minister said that there had been a slight reduction in delayed discharges, yet today’s figures show that we have the worst-ever levels of delayed discharges, with the average number of beds occupied due to delayed discharge sitting at 1,950 per day. With the First Minister announcing block bookings of care home beds, I have two questions. First, over what timescale will that begin? Secondly, what level of change to delayed discharges do you expect that to bring about?
Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
Meeting date: 10 January 2023
Dr. Sandesh Gulhane
Thank you. Again, today, we have seen the worst ever eight and 12-hour waits in accident and emergency, with only 56 per cent of people being seen within four hours. Obviously, hundreds of thousands of patients are waiting for treatment. Do you feel that the changes that were announced yesterday will significantly improve those figures? Will you announce further measures in your statement?
Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
Meeting date: 10 January 2023
Dr. Sandesh Gulhane
Thank you, cabinet secretary. I have been contacted to ask you a question, which I will read out to you:
“Can you please ask the Scottish Health Secretary who is going to do the 1.5 hours which they are proposing to cut from my working week as part of their proposed pay rise. We are a small group of specialist nurses ... this cut means we will lose around 5 working days each month from our team at a time when we are on our knees, they are putting more pressure on us by expecting the same work in less time ... or just taking advantage of the good will of nursing staff”.
12:30Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
Meeting date: 20 December 2022
Dr. Sandesh Gulhane
There is a feeling that the centralising agenda of the national care service will negatively and disproportionately affect rural and island communities. For example, Nick Morris of the NHS chairs group in Scotland said:
“The logical conclusion that is suggested by the NCS proposals at the moment is that the island communities would have less control of the NHS elements of care, because it would all go to a care board.” —[Official Report, Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, 8 November 2022; c 29.]
Do you agree with Mr Morris’s interpretation? How are you going to mitigate the effect of powers being taken away from local providers?
Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
Meeting date: 20 December 2022
Dr. Sandesh Gulhane
Could I ask a follow-up question?
Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
Meeting date: 20 December 2022
Dr. Sandesh Gulhane
My question was focused on what happens when that information has been received. Once you have got the information from the public consultation process, what happens to it? That is what I am asking you to set out.
Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
Meeting date: 20 December 2022
Dr. Sandesh Gulhane
Yes. In the letter that you write to us, minister, will you set out exactly how the co-design process will work, including but not limited to, how the voices that you hear are weighted, how you will resolve conflicting views, who will make the decisions and where they will be made, and what transparency there will be about those decisions?
Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
Meeting date: 20 December 2022
Dr. Sandesh Gulhane
Are you okay, minister?
Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
Meeting date: 20 December 2022
Dr. Sandesh Gulhane
Social workers have been described as the general practitioners of social care. David Grimm has contacted me about a letter that was sent to you in October by Lauren McNamara of Student Awards Agency Scotland and that was signed by 316 social work students and 20 lecturers. They are asking for a student social work bursary. Is that something that you are actively considering as part of your joint statement with COSLA, or is it something that the national care service might be able to provide?
Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
Meeting date: 20 December 2022
Dr. Sandesh Gulhane
Many witnesses have raised concerns about the co-design processes. Colin Poolman of the Royal College of Nursing said:
“I think that I have been quite clear in saying that the problem is that we do not know; it is absolutely not clear how the co-design process will work. That has led to anxiety in the workforce.”—[Official Report, Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, 15 November 2022; c 10.]
How can you guarantee that all relevant parties will be adequately consulted?