Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
The Committee was established in June 2021. It focuses on:
- health services in Scotland – including performance, staffing and funding
- primary care - including dentistry, GPs, and pharmacy services
- public health including mental health and wellbeing, and tackling drugs misuse
- social care
- sport and physical activity
Next meeting
Meeting details are not yet available. They will be published here in due course.
Get in touch
If you want to get in touch, you can contact Alex Bruce, the Clerk for the committee.
Address: The Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, EH99 1SP
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @SP_HSCS
If you're appearing as a witness at a committee, take a look at our witness guide for more information.
Members
Members of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
Current Members
Gillian Martin
Convener
Party: Scottish National Party
MSP for: Aberdeenshire East (Constituency)
Paul O'Kane
Deputy Convener
Party: Scottish Labour
MSP for: West Scotland (Region)
Stephanie Callaghan
Member
Party: Scottish National Party
MSP for: Uddingston and Bellshill (Constituency)
Dr. Sandesh Gulhane
Member
Party: Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
MSP for: Glasgow (Region)
Emma Harper
Member
Party: Scottish National Party
MSP for: South Scotland (Region)
Gillian Mackay
Member
Party: Scottish Green Party
MSP for: Central Scotland (Region)
Paul Sweeney
Member
Party: Scottish Labour
MSP for: Glasgow (Region)
David Torrance
Member
Party: Scottish National Party
MSP for: Kirkcaldy (Constituency)
Evelyn Tweed
Member
Party: Scottish National Party
MSP for: Stirling (Constituency)
Tess White
Member
Party: Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
MSP for: North East Scotland (Region)
Substitute Members
Jackie Baillie
Substitute Member
Party: Scottish Labour
MSP for: Dumbarton (Constituency)
James Dornan
Substitute Member
Party: Scottish National Party
MSP for: Glasgow Cathcart (Constituency)
Sue Webber
Substitute Member
Party: Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
MSP for: Lothian (Region)
Committee work
Current
Previous
Future
The Committee considers its work programme regularly to maintain a rolling programme of business.
The Committee's main business over coming months will include:
Legislation
National Care Service (Scotland) Bill: The Committee will continue its scrutiny of the NCS Bill, with the Stage 1 report due early 2023. Following this, the Committee will lead on Stage 2 of the Bill.
Patient Safety Commissioner Bill: Following a call for views the Committee will undertake Stage 1 scrutiny of the Bill in 2023.
Inquiries
Female participation in sport and physical activity: The Committee will begin taking oral evidence as part of the inquiry during 2023.
Budget scrutiny
The Committee will continue to undertake periodic scrutiny of the Scottish Budget as this relates to policy areas within its remit.
Petitions
The Committee currently has three referred petitions.
The Committee will continue consideration of these in 2023, initially taking evidence from the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care.
Routine scrutiny
The Committee plans to make room in its future work programme to undertake ongoing routine scrutiny of organisations with policy responsibilities within its remit. This will include, for example, periodically taking evidence from special and territorial NHS Boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships as well as statutory organisations within the health, social care and sport remit such as Food Standards Scotland, the Mental Welfare Commission and the Care Inspectorate.
Post-legislative scrutiny
Further to the Committee’s previous scrutiny of the Transvaginal Mesh Removal (Cost Reimbursement) (Scotland) Bill, which became an Act on 3 March 2022, the Committee plans to undertake post-legislative scrutiny of the Complex Mesh Surgical Service recently established by the Scottish Government.
Correspondence
Committee correspondence
Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
Patient Safety Commissioner for Scotland Bill
Letter from the Convener of the Finance and Public Administration Committee to the HSCS Convener concerning the Patient Safety Commissioner for Scotland Bill, 31 January 2023
Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
Appointment of Scotland's Women's Health Champion
Letter from the Minister for Public Health, Women's Health and Sport to the HSCS Convener, 26 January 2023
Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
Redeployment of contact tracing staff to NHS 24
Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care to the HSCS Convener, 25 January 2023
Official Reports
Official Reports
Meeting date: Tuesday, January 31, 2023
Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
Decision on Taking Business in Private, Patient Safety Commissioner for Scotland Bill: Stage 1, Subordinate Legislation
Meeting date: Tuesday, January 24, 2023
Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
Interests, Decision on Taking Business in Private, Independent Review into Racism in Scottish Cricket, Food Standards Scotland
Meeting date: Tuesday, January 17, 2023
Health, Social Care and Sport Committee
Decision on Taking Business in Private, Petitions, Subordinate Legislation
Reports
Committee reports
The Community Care (Personal Care and Nursing Care) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2023
This report sets out the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee's consideration of a Scottish Statutory Instrument (SSI) at its meeting on 31 January 2023.
A report of subordinate legislation considered by the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee on 17 January 2023.
Tackling health inequalities in Scotland
An inquiry report by the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee on tackling health inequalities in Scotland.
Remit
To consider and report on matters falling within the responsibility of the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care and matters relating to drugs policy.