It does not seem precise. It seems a bit of a guesstimate at the best.

George, you were nodding at one stage. Was that because you wanted to come in, or were you just generally agreeing?

George Tarvit, you have suggested that you are happy with what you have said.

Edward Mountain has identified an error in his contribution and provided the following correction.

At col 3, paragraph 5—

Original text—

That sounds like a lot of things in the future—but I thank the minister for the answer. I thank The Guardian and the BBC, which have done some investigation into the matter. They have found that health boards are paying up to £837 an hour for locum psychiatrists. Last year, total payments exceeded £35 million. Not only that, but there are serious concerns that some locums are being used in remote consultations from places outside the United Kingdom, such as India, meaning that they are not even members of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. Does the minister accept those concerns, and does she accept that mental health services in Scotland are at breaking point?

Corrected text—

That sounds like a lot of things in the future—but I thank the minister for the answer. I thank The Guardian and the BBC, which have done some investigation into the matter. They have found that health boards are paying up to £110.79 an hour for locum psychiatrists. Last year, total payments exceeded £35 million. Not only that, but there are serious concerns that some locums are being used in remote consultations from places outside the United Kingdom, such as India, meaning that they are not even members of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. Does the minister accept those concerns, and does she accept that mental health services in Scotland are at breaking point?

Thank you—[Interruption.]

Sorry, but I am hearing a lot of barracking from my right and it is difficult to ask the question. [Interruption.]

Well, there’s a surprise: emergency locums are being used because there is an emergency. When the minister and I were elected as regional Highlands and Islands MSPs, we both knew the problems that patients in the Highlands faced. New Craigs hospital was reducing bed numbers, there was a shortage of psychiatrists, and constituents were having to travel vast distances or were having online consultations via Near Me with different psychiatrists.

It is clear, minister, that you have no idea of the extent of the problem, and you had no idea of it before it was flagged up to you as a result of the investigation. Surely, if you did, the Scottish Government would have done some workforce planning years ago—and you have not. Do you think—

That sounds like a lot of things in the future—but I thank the minister for the answer. I thank The Guardian and the BBC, which have done some investigation into the matter. They have found that health boards are paying up to £837 an hour for locum psychiatrists. Last year, total payments exceeded £35 million. Not only that, but there are serious concerns that some locums are being used in remote consultations from places outside the United Kingdom, such as India, meaning that they are not even members of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. Does the minister accept those concerns, and does she accept that mental health services in Scotland are at breaking point? [Edward Mountain has corrected this contribution. See end of report.]

Edward Mountain has identified an error in his contribution and provided the following correction.

At col 3, paragraph 5—

Original text—

That sounds like a lot of things in the future—but I thank the minister for the answer. I thank The Guardian and the BBC, which have done some investigation into the matter. They have found that health boards are paying up to £837 an hour for locum psychiatrists. Last year, total payments exceeded £35 million. Not only that, but there are serious concerns that some locums are being used in remote consultations from places outside the United Kingdom, such as India, meaning that they are not even members of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. Does the minister accept those concerns, and does she accept that mental health services in Scotland are at breaking point?

Corrected text—

That sounds like a lot of things in the future—but I thank the minister for the answer. I thank The Guardian and the BBC, which have done some investigation into the matter. They have found that health boards are paying up to £110.79 an hour for locum psychiatrists. Last year, total payments exceeded £35 million. Not only that, but there are serious concerns that some locums are being used in remote consultations from places outside the United Kingdom, such as India, meaning that they are not even members of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. Does the minister accept those concerns, and does she accept that mental health services in Scotland are at breaking point?

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the reported growing concerns over the shortfall of psychiatrists employed by the national health service to deliver psychiatric care. (S6T-02138)