Chamber and committees

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?

I appreciate what the minister has said with regard to the progress that is being made. Is there any sense of timescale around that work? Obviously, changes are about to come in with regard to Police Scotland’s leadership, which might be of concern. Does any clarity exist around when we might see a decision that you, as minister, can then take forward?

Good morning, minister. We had a discussion with the previous panel about progress on safe consumption facilities. We heard from a number of the stakeholders that were represented about the importance of pace on that work.

At the beginning of the year, we had a communication from the Crown Agent, which said, essentially, that there had been back and forth, if you like, between Police Scotland and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. You wrote to me on 20 February—about a month ago—setting out the fact that there was no timescale, because of the complexities involved. However, I think that you also said in that letter that, through your discussions with the Crown Office and Police Scotland, essential progress had been made and that the parties understood the urgency.

We are a month hence from that, so I wonder whether you are able to give an update on those developments and on the urgency, because it is critical that we see progress—I think that everyone on the committee wants to see that.

That is a very helpful contribution.

Can Karen Reynolds give the ADP point of view? Obviously, a line of funding has been sustained, but I wonder about the knock-on effects of local authority budgets and, indeed, other areas of work to which we would often see signposting. As those services decline, is that a challenge?

The minister and I had an exchange about data in the chamber yesterday, and she agreed to write with further detail across the wide spectrum of data. However, I am particularly interested in the spike in the number of suspected drug deaths in the past quarter, which I referred to yesterday.

There is a sense from public health experts and experts in the field that the spike could be related to the new drugs that are arriving on the streets and their availability. It is about data and surveillance to understand the new drugs and how to tackle the new challenges that come with them. Naloxone will be part of that, as is surveillance and tracking where the new drugs are coming from. To what extent are the minister’s officials doing work in that space in order to understand it?