Chamber and committees

Yes. I assume that, once someone is admitted to the state hospital, there is the potential for them to be transferred to a less secure facility, as part of their progress. Is that monitored?

Good morning, Robin. I am interested in some of the key performance indicators that the State Hospitals Board for Scotland publishes. When I was on the health committee in the previous parliamentary session, we talked about patients being offered an annual physical health review. It looks as if the target is 90 per cent but that only 51.78 per cent is being achieved. What actions have been taken to address that specific key performance indicator in relation to the annual physical health review?

Do you measure the activity of individual patients in the state hospital?

I will be brief. I want to go back to what you said about induction, orientation and ways of welcoming, developing and retaining new staff. Previously, I was a clinical educator and I was responsible for developing and delivering an induction programme for all new staff. Do you get to work with other boards and see how they are delivering certain programmes? I am talking about training and induction not necessarily for mental health staff but for other practice, too, because it feels, sometimes, that the state hospital is quite separate. What do you think about connecting with other health boards?

Good morning, everybody.

I want to pick up on Kim Atkinson’s point about availability of facilities. Gillian Martin, our previous convener, used to say that in Iceland they would basically hand the keys of the school over to the kids, because they trusted them just to get on with things and access the facilities. We do not do that sort of thing, but is that something that we should progress? Do you have data on use of the school estate after, say, 4 o’clock in the afternoon? Should we be looking at what other countries do and pursuing the models that they have in place? David Ferguson mentioned what is being done in Denmark, I think, and I have been looking at what the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media has been doing in America to encourage young women into sport and athletics. We could look at best practice in other countries; should we pursue that?

Can I—

When Professor Lindsay Thomson came to the committee, I asked her about the challenge of overweight and increased body mass index in patients and how to support them to have a healthier weight. Professor Thomson’s said that the on-site hospital shop had made a decision to have 80 per cent healthy foods and 40 per cent unhealthy foods, whereas other places were doing 50:50. That was a goal. At the moment, I am reading about ultra-high processed foods in a book by Chris van Tulleken, in which he talks about the correlation between UHP foods and obesity. How do you support people when activity might not be easy to achieve and groceries are brought in by family members? That issue was highlighted the last time a state hospital representative was here.

I will ask one final wee quick question. If someone is transferred to the state hospital and is then relocated to another less secure facility, do you measure that as part of performance measurement? Is that part of tracking patients’ movements?

I am pleased to speak in favour of the Government’s motion. I remind members that I am a registered nurse and former employee of NHS Dumfries and Galloway.

As members and the cabinet secretary have indicated, the purpose of hospital at home is to reduce hospital admissions by providing treatments in the comfort and familiarity of a person’s home. Clare Haughey described the types of treatment that are received, which include intravenous infusions and oxygen therapy.

Evidence shows that those people who benefit from the service are more likely to avoid hospital or care home stays after a period of acute illness. For older patients, that means remaining at home longer without losing their independence, which has contributed to overall improvements in patient satisfaction.

I am a member of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, which is currently undertaking scrutiny of NHS boards, including the rural boards in my South Scotland region. The chief executive of NHS Borders, Ralph Roberts, told us about the reablement work that is being implemented in his board. Reablement refers to the care that a person receives after experiencing an illness or injury. The main aim of reablement is to allow people to gain or regain the confidence, ability and skills that are necessary to live as independently as possible, especially after an illness, injury or deterioration in health. Reablement is a person-centred approach, and support is usually delivered in the person’s home or in a care home. That work has led to an increase in people receiving hospital at home care, which is of course welcome.

Delayed discharge is one the biggest issues that health boards in Scotland face. I welcome the fact that, as the motion indicates, the Scottish Government is providing on-going support to boards in a range of areas, including discharge planning.

Significant evidence shows that ultra-processed foods link directly to obesity, poor diet, malnourishment and negative health implications. Will the minister describe some of the specific policy work that is being carried out to use the evidence that relates to ultra-processed food—which impacts on low-income families in particular—to improve diet and health outcomes?