Skip to main content
Loading…

Chamber and committees

Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

Filter your results Hide all filters

Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 12 July 2025
Select which types of business to include


Select level of detail in results

Displaying 1225 contributions

|

Health, Social Care and Sport Committee

Sportscotland

Meeting date: 11 March 2025

Dr Sandesh Gulhane

In a previous answer, you spoke about the fact that sportscotland is going to look at making a more long-term impact. What type of things will you be doing to get that long-term impact?

Health, Social Care and Sport Committee

National Care Service (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

Meeting date: 4 March 2025

Dr Sandesh Gulhane

Will Jackie Baillie take an intervention?

Health, Social Care and Sport Committee

National Care Service (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

Meeting date: 4 March 2025

Dr Sandesh Gulhane

I wonder whether the minister could clarify a couple of things in amendment 56. In a legal sense, “a person” can refer to individuals, businesses, and organisations, but the definition is potentially limited by the provisions in the legislation. Are there such limitations in the legislation? Are there any restrictions in the full legislation or definitions that govern the power?

Health, Social Care and Sport Committee

Subordinate Legislation

Meeting date: 4 March 2025

Dr Sandesh Gulhane

I would like further clarification as to why we are using the GDP deflator. I know that it has been used historically, but why has that particular measure been used as opposed to any other measure? I put that question to the minister twice, but the actual reason for using the GDP deflator as opposed to any other economic outcome measure was not clear. Although I agree that it has been used historically, the question why still stands.

Health, Social Care and Sport Committee

National Care Service (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

Meeting date: 4 March 2025

Dr Sandesh Gulhane

Thank you. I declare an interest as a practicing NHS general practitioner.

I would like to go back to amendment 50E and talk a little bit more about the essential care supporter and having somebody named as such. As you rightly said, during the pandemic, there was an absolute failure when it came to Scottish care homes. Anne’s law is fundamental, and we all agree with it—we have all said, for many years, that we want it to come in.

My feeling is that a named essential care supporter will strengthen the rights of the individual. The idea, which I believe in, is that that person will be a trusted source for the care home resident, who might not be able to speak for themselves, although, if they can, their voice will, surely, be heard louder than that of the essential care supporter. Is that the case? Do you think that the role of essential care supporter is a vital one to have?

Health, Social Care and Sport Committee

National Care Service (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

Meeting date: 4 March 2025

Dr Sandesh Gulhane

Does Katy Clark acknowledge that private care homes are paid less to provide a service than the local authority pays its own providers, that they therefore represent a significant saving to the public purse, and that they are not the very evil entities that, it seems, they are portrayed as?

If a company provides an element of public service but also does other things, other companies could use a freedom of information request to look into the detail of that company—which could include very sensitive information—thereby gaining an advantage not just in the public space but in relation to private services. Does that not risk our losing private care homes, which save the public money?

Health, Social Care and Sport Committee

National Care Service (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

Meeting date: 4 March 2025

Dr Sandesh Gulhane

I find it odd that the minister talks about wrecking when she has removed section 1 of the bill and has lodged multiple amendments that, in effect, wreck the original bill that the Scottish Government laid.

Health, Social Care and Sport Committee

Subordinate Legislation

Meeting date: 4 March 2025

Dr Sandesh Gulhane

I declare my interest as a practising NHS GP.

A GDP deflator, which has been used previously, was used as the measure, and I note that, in the past, the Scottish Government has put in more money than the GDP deflator said was owed. Is the uplift of 2.37 per cent sufficient for personal care to continue as it is? Why are we using the GDP deflator as opposed to other economic measures?

Health, Social Care and Sport Committee

National Care Service (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

Meeting date: 4 March 2025

Dr Sandesh Gulhane

It is important that we give the Care Inspectorate commensurate powers to be able to deal with all of what is happening under the legislation. We are able to strengthen its hand, provide for the creation of a system of complaints to go the Scottish Care Inspectorate and increase resources, as required, for the extra work that the Care Inspectorate is going to be doing. Amendment 154 simply makes that an affirmative process.

I move amendment 142.

Health, Social Care and Sport Committee

National Care Service (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2

Meeting date: 4 March 2025

Dr Sandesh Gulhane

The role of the national chief social work adviser sits in the Scottish Government at deputy director level. The minister is looking to create a national social work agency around the national chief social work adviser with that person at deputy director level, which undermines the person who does that role. For equality among our healthcare professionals, especially considering how vital social workers are to the care sector, we need the post to be at director level to enable the postholder to access all meetings and to sit at a level commensurate with other professions. I worry that all this work is being put on somebody who really should be sitting at director level, as is the case with similar roles.