Chamber and committees

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the support it is providing to high streets and businesses. (S6O-00972)

Thank you, convener. I have nothing to declare.

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it is scheduled to meet with United Kingdom Government ministers to discuss the implementation of the energy company obligation 4 scheme in Scotland. (S6O-00902)

I have been in touch with energy businesses in Glasgow, which are extremely concerned about the lack of communication from the Scottish National Party-Green Government about the transition period between the ECO3 and ECO4 schemes. They have revealed to me that if there is no confirmation of a transition period, they fear that, when ECO3 expires in just eight days’ time, many jobs in Glasgow could be relocated to England and Wales.

Will the minister urgently clarify that an ECO3 interim period will apply in Scotland, to help to save those jobs?

The problem with drug-related deaths in Scotland remains our national shame. The numbers do not lie. In 2020, around four people lost their lives each day to drugs. As the First Minister admitted, for too long, the Government had taken its eye off the ball. I recognise that estimated data from Police Scotland suggests that the number of drug-related deaths in 2021 was lower than the number the year before. However, it is clear that there is much more that we can do, particularly on bolstering rehabilitation facilities.

Only last week, an astonishing Audit Scotland report revealed clear shortcomings in the Government’s stewardship of our drug and alcohol services. For many vulnerable people, those services are the last resort to obtain the treatment that they need to get better. That is why the Scottish Conservatives have proposed our right to recovery bill, which has been developed in collaboration with front-line experts, to ensure that people have the statutory right to obtain the treatment that is right for them. I sincerely hope that we can continue to collaborate on that bill, because surely the time has come for us to stand up and say that tackling Scotland’s drug deaths crisis should be the defining mission of this session of Parliament.

Substance misuse is as acute a problem across Scotland’s justice system as it is in wider society. We must do our utmost to tackle the supply of drugs into Scotland’s prisons. By stemming the flow of deeply dangerous substances such as so-called spice, we will help to protect the wellbeing of Scotland’s prison officers, who work under extremely difficult circumstances, and those in custody.

Recent figures have suggested a fall in the quantity of drug-soaked mail that is infiltrating our prisons, which is to be welcomed. My colleague Russell Findlay pushed hard for the SNP Government to take seriously the threat of drug-soaked mail in our prisons and called for the introduction of photocopied mail procedures to disrupt the supply of illicit substances.

As Faces & Voices of Recovery UK has pointed out, not only has the UK Government’s project ADDER been effective in providing support to communities in England and Wales regarding treatment, but it has disrupted organised crime and its supply of illegal substances. As the UK Minister for Crime and Policing, Kit Malthouse, has revealed, project ADDER has already helped to seize up to 27 million benzodiazepine tablets that were destined for Scotland. The value of project ADDER is clear. As reflected in our amendment to the motion, it is deeply regrettable that, so far, the Scottish Government has not signed up to it.

Tackling the supply of such substances into Scotland’s prisons is only part of the solution. We must also focus on demand. We are clear that access to higher-quality drug treatment and rehabilitation for those across the justice system is vital, including in our prisons. Many people in custody are trapped in a cycle of substance misuse, harm and despair. Strengthening rehabilitation for those in custody will not only help to safeguard their wellbeing but give them confidence as they look to successfully reintegrate into society following their release.

Most members in the chamber are agreed that radical action is needed to stem the tide of drug-related deaths in this country. Although we make every effort to be a constructive Opposition, on this most pressing issue, it is also our duty to be up-front about where the Government is falling short, and we will continue to do that.

Glasgow’s taxi drivers have also been brutally impacted by lost earnings. The industry is on its knees, with warnings of a cab blackout in Glasgow. Cabbies are now facing further uncertainty with the proposed introduction of the low-emission zones in 2023. Can the Scottish Government reiterate what action it is taking to ensure that essential support is available for Glasgow’s cab drivers?

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. My app stopped and I could not vote. I would have voted no.

As the health secretary, Humza Yousaf has influence in this country—people listen to him. What happens if someone has a medical emergency? Do they remember what the health secretary said and think, “Maybe I’ll think twice about phoning”? Thinking twice is not the solution to the crisis for our Ambulance Service.

We must also acknowledge the severe staffing shortages that currently exist across much of Scotland’s health system.

Only last week, the head of Macmillan Cancer Support services in Scotland warned that, as the number of people who are diagnosed with cancer is set to soar in the years ahead, we simply do not have enough specialist cancer nurses to meet demand. For many who are battling cancer, having a nurse is a tremendous source of support, comfort and encouragement, so it is extremely concerning to hear warnings that we are set for a perfect storm of a shortage of nurses coupled with growing demand.

Despite the array of challenges that NHS Scotland faces, Conservative members are today urging the Government to act on the return of normal GP services. I am sure that most members have had concerned constituents get in touch to inform us that they—or someone they know—have struggled to access GP services, particularly those who would like a face-to-face appointment.

It is no secret that, even before anyone had heard of Covid-19, general practice in Scotland was not exactly in peak condition, as the British Medical Association Scotland highlighted last month. Between 2010 and 2020, there was a gradual decrease in the number of GP practices across Scotland. Meanwhile, the average practice’s patient list went up. That suggests that, in the decade prior to the pandemic, general practice had been under increasing pressure to meet the needs of Scots.

The pandemic has placed untold pressure on NHS services, which is forcing more people to go to their GP. One GP contacted me to explain the sheer pressure that they are experiencing because of unprecedented demand, which has been exacerbated by staff shortages across primary care. They told me that primary care is broken due to the increased and unsustainable pressure resulting from Scots waiting longer for secondary care.

In last week’s debate on the programme for government, I made the point that, although more funding for the NHS is welcome, the NHS recovery plan is, in many ways, limited in how it will tackle the huge issues that our health service faces. Not least, it fails to deliver a network of long Covid clinics. That awful aspect of the virus has the potential to place further pressure on front-line services if it is not properly addressed.

If we do not do what is necessary to get hospital, clinic and surgery waiting times under control, GPs will continue to be overwhelmed with patients. Desperate patients will attend A and E departments to get treatment, as many feel that they are left with no other choice, and that could severely compound the pressure.

People need help today. They need help now. As I am sure my colleague Dr Sandesh Gulhane will say in his speech, the situation has all the components to generate a brutal domino effect across the NHS in Scotland. Many medical conditions will continue to go undiagnosed and untreated, which will lead to tragic yet entirely avoidable consequences. Leading health professionals have admitted that the current pressures on the NHS are akin to those faced during the harshest months of winter, so the domino effect could soon worsen if warnings are not heeded. Therefore, the NHS needs a proper recovery plan—one with real substance and teeth—to get it back on track and to reduce pressure on general practice and our front-line staff.

As I said, GPs face overwhelming demands, but it is also true that video consultations should not become the default for patients who need to be seen face to face. Many people in communities across Scotland desire face-to-face GP consultations over appointments via telephone or the Near Me service, and that must be respected.

With the motion in my name, the Scottish Conservatives are clear that we will support patients who need to get back to seeing their GP in person. If the Government is confident that its NHS recovery plan will help to tackle the backlog and waiting times, it will have no issue in supporting our motion and committing to setting a target date for the return of normal GP services.

I move,

That the Parliament recognises that patients have a right to treatment by GPs, and calls on the Scottish Government to set a target date for a return to normal activity in practices, including face-to-face consultations.

I am delighted to open the debate for the Scottish Conservatives on a motion on the return of normal GP services. We on these benches have called for this debate on an issue that is causing serious concern in communities across Scotland.

Let us be clear that national health service staff, including GPs, have worked flat out every single day to keep our services afloat. Throughout the pandemic, GPs have demonstrated their incredible resilience, whether in adapting to virtual settings or continuing to see the most vulnerable patients face to face. However, it is important to be clear that the NHS continues to be at crisis point. Whether it be enormous accident and emergency delays, ambulance services stretched to the limit or waiting times for diagnostic tests going through the roof, many services are completely overwhelmed.

I am sure that we were all astounded to hear the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care declare just this morning that people should think twice before calling an ambulance.

I thank the minister for advance sight of her statement. I echo her remarks that the cervical screening programme remains the best way to prevent cervical cancer.

The error has had a profound effect on the women involved, so they deserve answers as soon as possible. Will the Scottish Government commit to the independent review being a full inquiry into why the women were excluded unnecessarily and the effect that that has had?