Chamber and committees

Is the board regularly informed about where that is still happening, if it is still happening, and the plans that are in place to tackle it? Is that information shared publicly through board papers and those sorts of things, or will we require to make an FOI request in the future to understand the picture?

Good morning. The video that we watched at the start of the evidence session really helped to set in context so much of what we are discussing. We heard a lot about role models and their importance in people’s lives. Let us explore that in the social media context and more broadly. What do you feel can be done to encourage more role models to share their stories in those spaces to encourage, in turn, girls and women to take part in sport?

My question follows on from that point. Jane, you spoke about the work that has been done in the previous 12 months. However, do you accept that, in the past 12 months, the number of whistleblower complaints in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has doubled? That suggests to me that there has been a failure to empower staff to speak out. I have heard directly from staff that there is a culture in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde of people feeling that they cannot speak out, particularly where, for example, someone might be the only staff member on a ward in a hospital. Do you accept that?

Good morning to the panel. My questions follow on from what Pam Dudek said about buildings as enablers and the important thing being the quality of care. Although I accept that that is true, I have a direct question for Jane Grant on NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

The repair backlog at the Royal Alexandra hospital is now more than £80 million. The one at Inverclyde royal hospital is now more than £100 million. In a recent report, Healthcare Improvement Scotland pointed to the quality of care in Inverclyde being excellent, but said that there were serious challenges with the fabric of the building. How sustainable is it to run those hospitals with an ever-increasing repair backlog of those scales? Does there need to be more sustained capital investment from Government to do something about that?

Thank you for those exchanges, which were helpful.

We have heard in evidence that it is on men to change their behaviour and attitudes, and that men need to influence their peers and how they behave. Do you have any reflections on that? In the social media space, do we need to encourage more male role models at national level to influence behavioural change, or is it more about the grass roots or a mixture of both? I have previously referred to some of the helpful statements that Andy Murray has made—most people would recognise that, although the issue goes much further. I am keen to get your sense of what we as men can do, because that is vital.

I will start with a general question. At last week’s evidence session, we heard some discussion about the lack of prioritisation of preventative care because, understandably, there has been a huge focus on acute care and trying to address issues, backlogs and all the rest of it. Does the panel agree with the assessment of last week’s panellists that there has been a large focus on acute care to the detriment of preventative care?

Will Jane Grant comment on NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde?

Given that Healthcare Improvement Scotland has said that there are substantial challenges to the safety and wellbeing of patients and staff in Inverclyde, is it sustainable in the long term to run a repair backlog of more than £100 million?

Jane Grant mentioned a number of alternative routes for patients to be seen and the fact that the board is trying to encourage people to go to the MIU. You did not mention the general practitioner out-of-hours service, which is a key part of the issue. Inverclyde has been without out-of-hours GPs since 2020 and no plans from the board appear to be in place to reinstate that service. Instead, the board is directing people 15 miles up the road to the provision at Paisley.

First, do you think that that decision is good value for money with regard to supporting people to be seen in the appropriate place? Secondly, what kind of impact will the fact that people cannot see an out-of-hours GP in their community realistically have on A and E front-door services? Might you be able to give the reasons behind that decision?

I want to ask about accident and emergency and particularly about waiting times, which is a question for the territorial boards rather than for the Golden Jubilee hospital. The standard that patients should be dealt with within four hours of arrival has not been met for quite some time and, in 2022, we had the worst figures on record.

Pam Dudek and Jane Grant, can you give us a sense of why that is happening? Is there an issue with staffing and resources in A and E departments, or are there wider issues caused by where people present? Last week, we heard some of your colleagues say that they would rather have people come to A and E than anywhere else, if they choose to present at all. Are inappropriate presentations an issue?