Seòmar agus comataidhean

If the RAAC is to be replaced, what is it replaced with?

Colleagues, I want to ask a question that constituents have been asking me. Can you distinguish between RAAC and breeze block? Is it the same material, or is it different?

In response to the question about surveys, Iain Morris gave us extensive information on what is happening in the fire service estate, which I was glad of and thankful to hear. When the fire service is looking at a building for whatever reason, does it routinely check for RAAC? Has it done that in the past? Will it do so from now on?

That is really helpful. The area is very difficult to pin down. Are we saying that GPs need to be more skilled to be able to deal with those needs, or do they need access to those skills to be brought into their practices a bit more closely?

Do you see that mixed hybrid model of face to face and digital continuing for the foreseeable? Do you see it becoming the norm that there is a choice available to people? It sounds as though it is not really a choice but a necessity to provide digital access.

That is particularly the case for adults. There is a process for younger people, but there appears to be no pathway to diagnosis for the adult population. Is there anything that Christine Lester is familiar with that might help?

Your report says that access to a range of mental health services dipped during Covid and that it has, by and large, gone back to pre-pandemic levels, but not for psychiatry services. Do you have any views on why the number of psychiatry appointments has decreased while other services have recovered to their pre-pandemic levels?

Good morning, Auditor General and colleagues. I have a range of questions to put to you, but I would first like to stick with the GP issue that Graham Simpson asked about. The report refers to a comment from the Royal College of General Practitioners that

“GPs need more support to address the mental health needs of patients.”

It is as stark as that. Some comments in the focus groups showed that people seem to prefer the support that they get from their GP rather than from psychiatric services. Somewhere else in the report, it talks about access to mental health officers and the fact that, although the funding is there, it is not being taken up. A whole range of issues is swirling around.

Stephen, can you say a wee bit more about your understanding of that particular issue and what the GPs are actually asking for?

Do you have a date for the publication of the guidance?

That is a lovely story to share with the committee—thank you.