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Chamber and committees

Taking Action on the NHS and Ambulance Crisis

  • Submitted by: Jackie Baillie, Dumbarton, Scottish Labour.
  • Date lodged: Monday, 20 September 2021
  • Motion reference: S6M-01302
  • Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, 22 September 2021

Motions as amended

That the Parliament thanks the Scottish Ambulance Service paramedics, technicians, call handlers and other frontline workers who are under significant stress as they cope with the current pressures on the health service; recognises that excessively long waits for an ambulance can lead to worse outcomes for patients, and that the Scottish Government and Scottish Ambulance Service have apologised to people who have experienced long waits; notes that the Scottish Government has previously invested an additional £20 million to increase staff capacity in the ambulance service by almost 300; welcomes that an extra £20 million is now being invested to increase capacity further, including funding military personnel, recruiting additional Hospital Ambulance Liaison Officers, working with NHS boards to create Temporary Admission Wards and aiming to recruit 100 paramedic students to help alleviate the current pressures on ambulance staff, NHS workers and patients; further notes that the steps outlined by the health secretary will help alleviate pressure on the service in the immediate term and looking ahead to the winter; commends military personnel and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, which are providing driving support to the ambulance service in order to free up paramedic and technician time; supports the additional investment of £500,000 to improve ambulance service staff welfare, and the ongoing discussions between the board and trade unions to develop a rest break action plan and put it in place as quickly as possible.


Supported by: Foysol Choudhury, Paul Sweeney

Vote

Result 70 for, 51 against, 0 abstained, 8 did not vote Vote Passed

Scottish National Party

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

Scottish Labour

Scottish Green Party

Scottish Liberal Democrats

For
0
Against
Abstained
0
Did not vote

No Party Affiliation

For
0
Against
0
Abstained
0
Did not vote

Original motion text

That the Parliament thanks the Scottish Ambulance Service paramedics, technicians, call handlers and other frontline workers who are under significant stress as they cope with the current pressures on the health service; regrets the failure of the Scottish Government to address the underlying and systematic problems facing both the ambulance service and the wider health and social care service that predate the COVID-19 pandemic; welcomes the support of the British Army in helping alleviate the current pressures on NHS workers and patients; recommends that the Scottish Government adopt a 30-minute maximum turnaround time for ambulances from arrival at hospital, which will release paramedics to answer other calls, and protect staff welfare and wellbeing by reducing shift over-runs and guarding rest periods, and further calls on the Scottish Government to increase capacity in the health service ahead of winter by calling on recently retired staff to return temporarily and establishing temporary wards and field hospitals to ease the pressure on Accident and Emergency departments and manage the clinical backlog.  

Accepted amendments

Motion ref. S6M-01302.3

Taking Action on the NHS and Ambulance Crisis - Amendment - Amendment

Submitted by: Humza Yousaf, Glasgow Pollok, Scottish National Party, Date lodged: Tuesday, September 21, 2021

Supported by: Kevin Stewart, Maree Todd
Current status: Taken in the chamber on Wednesday, September 22, 2021

Result 68 for, 53 against, 0 abstained, 8 did not vote Vote Passed

Defeated amendments

Motion ref. S6M-01302.2

Taking Action on the NHS and Ambulance Crisis - Amendment - Amendment

Submitted by: Dr. Sandesh Gulhane, Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date lodged: Tuesday, September 21, 2021

Supported by: Sharon Dowey, Stephen Kerr
Current status: Taken in the chamber on Wednesday, September 22, 2021

Result 53 for, 67 against, 0 abstained, 9 did not vote Vote Defeated

Amendments that have not been voted on

Motion ref. S6M-01302.1

Taking Action on the NHS and Ambulance Crisis - Amendment - Amendment

Submitted by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date lodged: Tuesday, September 21, 2021

Current status: Taken in the chamber on Monday, January 1, 0001