The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.
All Official Reports of meetings in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament.
All Official Reports of public meetings of committees.
Displaying 1019 contributions
Health, Social Care and Sport Committee [Draft]
Meeting date: 17 December 2024
Dr. Sandesh Gulhane
What about a UK citizen who has it for personal use?
Health, Social Care and Sport Committee [Draft]
Meeting date: 17 December 2024
Dr. Sandesh Gulhane
Minister, you said that snus has been banned since 1992. We still smoke and we have a drug consumption facility coming in where people will consume drugs and be able to buy them. What was the evidence behind banning snus?
Health, Social Care and Sport Committee [Draft]
Meeting date: 17 December 2024
Dr. Sandesh Gulhane
Good morning. I declare an interest as a practising NHS general practitioner.
Cabinet secretary, you previously said:
“The funding outlined will support NHS reform and our efforts to improve population health with a focus on prevention and early intervention.”
Today, you said that the budget empowers reform, but the budget line for improving outcomes and reform has been cut by 21 per cent. How does your statement stack up with that cut?
Health, Social Care and Sport Committee [Draft]
Meeting date: 17 December 2024
Dr. Sandesh Gulhane
Cabinet secretary, £21 billion is a big budget, and you have described it as a budget for delivery. However, funding does not replace leadership, and accountability is vital in that regard. I hope that you agree that you are ultimately responsible, but do health boards and senior managers not also have some accountability?
Health, Social Care and Sport Committee [Draft]
Meeting date: 17 December 2024
Dr. Sandesh Gulhane
On reducing waiting times, NHS Tayside appears to be suspending orthopaedic surgery to alleviate pressure on hospitals over the winter period, which shows winter pressure in action. Over the weekend, you said that winter pressure is not as bad in reality. How does that decision align with your stated outcome of reducing long waiting times?
Health, Social Care and Sport Committee [Draft]
Meeting date: 17 December 2024
Dr. Sandesh Gulhane
One of the difficulties that the legislation will face will not arise right now, because when it is introduced, it will be obvious what a child is in comparison with an adult. However, as the years roll on and people get older, the difficulty with the legislation will be people’s age, as they will look older. Do you foresee any difficulties, as people age with the legislation, that the identification of people to enable them to access tobacco and vapes might not be as good as we would hope?
Health, Social Care and Sport Committee [Draft]
Meeting date: 17 December 2024
Dr. Sandesh Gulhane
I have a final question with regard to what happens with people who have cigarettes when they are under the age that they should be, regardless of whether, in time, that age changes. Obviously you are repealing the law for under-18s, because that will not make any sense going forward, but I have not seen what is replacing that. What would be the punishment for people buying cigarettes for people who are under the age as set out in the LCM? What is the punishment for people who have possession of, and are using, these products outside of when they should be?
11:45Health, Social Care and Sport Committee [Draft]
Meeting date: 17 December 2024
Dr. Sandesh Gulhane
Nicotine pouches are different to herbal products. I will have questions about the pouches, but first, are the herbal products that are to be banned those that contain nicotine?
Health, Social Care and Sport Committee [Draft]
Meeting date: 17 December 2024
Dr. Sandesh Gulhane
On those longest waits, 11,000 people are waiting over two years in Scotland. On the weekend, you said that an expansion in scheduled care capacity is needed to eradicate long wait lists by 2026. In July 2022, your predecessor, Humza Yousaf, promised to eradicate long waiting times by now. Who was accountable for that failure, and who will be accountable for your promise?
Health, Social Care and Sport Committee [Draft]
Meeting date: 17 December 2024
Dr. Sandesh Gulhane
What about visitors to the UK who bring in snus?