Monday 14^th July 2014

THE ROAD TO RECOVERY 

Scotland and Inverclyde has lost too many young lives to addiction.  The tragic nature of addiction makes the lack of progress so frustrating.

Faced with the scale of the problem with so many people parked on methadone the Scottish Government, with the support of the Scottish Parliament, produced just over six years ago a new strategy entitled Road to Recovery but progress has been very slow.

Drug deaths remain very high in Inverclyde Royal Hospital alone.   There were over 300 visits to their Accident & Emergency Department last year.   This is not just an issue that affects Inverclyde it is reflected right across the country.

The percentage of people saying that drug dealing/drug abuse, highlighted by the Greenock Telegraph, is either very or fairly common in their area since the government published its strategy has remained relatively static. Indeed, in the most recent survey 44% of people interviewed said this was the case.

The number of incidences of drug possession in Scotland recorded by the police has also remained roughly the same with 29,000 recorded in the last financial year alone.

And the number of hospital drug related discharges has remained stubbornly high with over 5,000 in 2012/13.

These statistics show that we have a long way to go before we put Scotland back on the Road to Recovery.

The Scottish Government must match it’s rhetoric on this issue and act not only for the individuals who lives who are ruined by drug misuse, but for the families who suffer at the hands of addiction and the communities that have to contend with the crime and anti-social behaviour that it creates.

Monday 7th July 2014

CHEERS TO THE VOLUNTEERS

Local volunteers are the magic ingredient that holds communities together. According to Volunteer Scotland – the national body for volunteering – each year, 30% of adults give over 160 million hours of precious time in a vast range of community settings.

 So it was great pleasure to back a recent motion in Parliament congratulating the charity on its 30^th Anniversary.

 On this celebration, I think it’s worth reminding ourselves what Inverclyde would be like without its volunteers both young and old.

 Well, for one, there would be fewer food banks for families struggling with the cost of living.

 There would be nobody to manage the local kids’ football teams or the boxing club in Port Glasgow. There would be no starter packs. There would be far fewer people to care for our elderly.

 And the local Samaritans Branch which gives emotional support in a range of situations, from those that have experienced abuse or are suffering from a family bereavement, to people who have lost their job would have to close.

 These are just some examples which highlight the importance of volunteers to our local community. I’m sure you could list many more.

 All in all the giving spirit of our volunteers make Inverclyde the strong, resilient community that it is.Their work is a reminder to all of us that in an increasingly sceptical world, there are good people out there, dedicating their energy to helping others.

 On the 30^th Anniversary of Volunteer Scotland I hope you will join me in saying cheers to the volunteers.

Monday 30th June 2014

PRESSURES ON THE NHS

 “What I have seen over the past five years is the continuing crisis management of the longest car crash in history – and it’s time for our politicians to face up to  the challenge”

These were not the words of a politician but one of Scotland’s top doctors – Dr Brian Keighley the outgoing chair of the British Medical Association.

In his speech to the BMA’s annual conference he listed a raft of symptoms that show that all is not well with our NHS.

The crisis in out-of-hours health care provision. The huge queues at A&E. Increases in Bed Blocking. Vital cancer treatments being delayed. GP’s coping with a 20% increased workload. And staff shortages.

But Dr Keighley is not the only one to have raised concerns. We’ve had the General Medical Council raise concerns last year that nearly 20 per cent of junior doctors were short of sleep because of their shift patterns.

In a survey the Royal College of Nursing found that over half of nurses are working more than their contracted hours each week so that they can meet demand, with 58 per cent saying they are under too much pressure.

And just last week, Healthcare Improvement Scotland – the country’s inspection watchdog -  found patients being moved wards at the Victoria Hospital in Glasgow to meet the demands of the service rather than their clinical need.

In his closing remarks to the conference Dr Keighley said: “It is now time for our politicians, whatever their party, whatever the outcome on 18^th September, to recognise the long-term viability of our National Health Service”

He’s right of course. After the Referendum there will be no hiding place for government or politicians from whatever party there from.

Monday 23rd June 2014

PEOPLE POWER 

The cynics will have you believe that ordinary people can’t affect change. Rather, it’s only the politicians and those at the top who have influence.

Well, last week showed that people power can make a difference.

Following pressure from campaigners Health Minister Alex Neil took a U-turn and announced that the use of Mesh implants would be suspended.

The day after, he announced that hospitals are being told to reduce the working hours of junior doctors. The move comes in response to the campaign initiated by Brain Connelly whose daughter Dr Lauren Connelly was tragically killed in a car accident as she was driving home after an arduous 12-hour night shift.

These are just some recent examples of where people power can achieve change, but there are many more.

The tireless efforts of anti-knife campaigner John Muir led to a rethink of how we approach knife crime in this country.

The local students angry about the cuts to college funding caused the government to put back some of the money it took away.

The tenants whose lives had been adversely affected by the bedroom tax banded together and forced the government to fork out the full funding to mitigate its impact.

And the determination of those suffering from rare conditions and terminal illnesses has led to a shake-up of Scotland’s drug-approval-system.

The road to change can often be a long one fraught with disappointments, but there’s no doubt that ordinary people can influence things for the better.

Indeed, it’s one of the virtues of the Scottish Parliament, that it is accessible to people from all walks of life and gives them a platform to have their voices heard. In essence, it is why devolution works.

12^th January 2011

NO CHRISTMAS CARDS FROM INVERCLYDE

The tills are ringing in the stores and in the supermarkets now the Christmas countdown is on.

Credit cards and store cards will be getting a bashing as shoppers make sure they have the perfect gift for each of their friends and family, and can all enjoy their festive break.

Well, in the Scottish Parliament, it was also spend, spend, spend for the SNP Government, even in these straightened times.

And for those of us trying to manage our budgets in the run up to Christmas, the figures are mind-boggling.

More than £60 billion pledged by the Scottish Government to be spent on infrastructure projects over the next 25 years.

And in the short-term, an additional £433 million from the UK Government is to be spent here in Scotland in the current financial year.

Inverclyde’s share? A paltry £1.5 million.

That is what Cabinet Secretary Alex Neil handed back to this community, just a fraction of the missing millions he cut from our budget earlier this year.

Crucially, where we once had certainty over future funding so they we could implement long-term plans, we now have uncertainty and vague promises about lottery
funding.

I met with the minister this week, making the case for regeneration investment in Inverclyde, so we can attract jobs, build new homes and create new leisure facilities.

I illustrated our long-term vision for the area and argued why he should invest in a community like ours, which is being disproportionately impacted by the cuts.

His response was less than adequate given the windfall his government received from Westminster, and their grand plans for the rest of the country.

Given his betrayal of our ambitious regeneration plans, the Cabinet Secretary shouldn’t anticipate too many Christmas cards from Inverclyde this year.

3^rd January 2011

FREEDOM FROM FEAR

Just when you thought the shopping chaos was finished now that Christmas is over, the Boxing Day sales are well and truly under way.

From the last-minute scrambles to get the Christmas shopping to the bargain-hunting in the sales, it is a busy period for the avid shoppers out there.

If you dread this as much as me, no matter what time of the year, you will have no doubt relied upon a helpful shop assistant for some generous advice or direction plenty of times.

While most of us are enjoying earning a well-earned break over the Christmas period, it is important that we remember all those who put in extra hours, from workers in shops to restaurants, hospitals to post offices.

With the long hours and the hustle and bustle in their stores, shop workers in particular face a challenging time to cope with demanding customers.

I spent some time with staff at Tesco recently to discuss the Freedom from Fear campaign, which seeks to protect workers from abuse.

I was shocked to learn that more than a third of workers delivering a service to the public have experienced either physical or verbal abuse in their place of work.

According to Retailers Against Crime, there has been a 78 per cent increase in against Scottish shop workers over the last three years.

These figures are unacceptable and no one should have to put up with violence, or the threat of it, while doing their job and I would support any measures to make shopping areas safer for workers and customers.

That is why I was supportive of efforts to bring forward legislation that protects workers from violence, as proposed by my colleague Hugh Henry in a private members’ bill.

Despite initially receiving cross-party support, the Scottish Government shot down the bill last week just days before Christmas.

For those hard-working shop assistants facing up to their busiest time of year, it was another slap in the face.

Monday 16^th June 2014

CASH BACK

With the clock ticking down on the Independence Referendum, it was no surprise that it dominated the headlines last week yet again. Personally, like many of you no doubt, I can’t wait for it all to be over, so we can return to normal politics and focus on the issues that matter.

One such issue which I have had a particular interest in for some time now is the Cashback for Communities Programme.

For those of you unfamiliar with the initiative, it takes the ‘ill gotten-gains of crime” recovered through the Proceeds of Crime Act introduced by Labour in 2003, and puts it back into schemes, facilities and activities for young people in communities throughout Scotland.  Since its inception, it has taken over £70million out of the pockets of criminals.

During the debate on the Cashback initiative in Parliament last week, which went largely unnoticed because of the focus on the Referendum, I made the point that we need to ensure that those communities hit hardest by crime, should be the ones to benefit most from the monies recovered from criminals.

Rather than spreading the jam thinly across the country, we need to target funding to repair some of the damage that has been done to the communities that have suffered most as a result of drug dealing and other serious crime.

Despite the large sums of monies being spent by Cashback partners, despite a national evaluation of the programme being published last week, it is still unclear as to the extent to which the most deprived communities are being targeted.

Putting these reservations aside, however, the Cashback programme is a good initiative and I hope that in the future we will be able to target more criminals and recover even more money.

Monday 9th June 2014

SCOTTISH MESH SURVIVORS

Last week in Parliament, I met with constituents Claire Daisley and Linda McLaughlin.  However, this was no social visit. They were there along with their fellow campaigners to petition Parliament to suspend the use of mesh implant surgeries.

Linda had a mesh implant inserted over five years ago at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley to correct a severe form of cystitis.  Before then she described herself as a fit and healthy women with a demanding job and happy family life.

She was informed that the procedure would be quick and easy. But immediately after waking up she was in excruciating agony. Since then the pain has never gone away. She has had to undergo numerous operations and her life has never been the same since.

Linda and Claire are not the only sufferers. Indeed there are many more like them.  Complications from the procedure have ranged from crippling nerve damage, lifelong pain and mobility problems.

Another mesh survivor who appeared before the Scottish Parliament’s Petition’s Committee said she could only walk from her front door to the drive way. A further sufferer has said that she feels 30 years older as a result of the procedure and some days feels sick with pain.

In light of such harrowing cases the Cabinet Secretary for Health Alex Neil must listen to the campaigners and consider their request to suspend this procedure in Scotland until such times as we have a full and clear understanding of its benefits against its risks.

He has the perfect opportunity to make such an announcement when he appears before the Petition’s Committee in two weeks’ time. While this will be too late for survivors like Claire and Linda, it may prevent others from going through the suffering that they have had to endure.

Monday 2nd June 2014

THE REGENERATION GAME 
Finance Secretary John Swinney was in town last week. Unfortunately this was not a visit to announce new jobs or investment for Inverclyde. Rather Mr Swinney was here to talk about the referendum.

This would have come as a real disappointment to many who are all too aware of the economic challenges we face locally. One of the principal challenges is how we continue to regenerate Inverclyde.

We have been participants in the regeneration game for some time now with our partners, and indeed, we have achieved some success. Essential to that success has been the commitment of government and the financial support that they and their agencies have provided.

However, if we have been winners in the past, we are beginning to feel like losers now. And this despite the government stating that reversing economic, physical and social decline of communities where market forces alone won’t suffice is a top priority. And indeed, Mr Swinney in his previous visit to Inverclyde recognised the areas potential to attract renewable jobs and expand our tourism sector. Sadly none of this has come to pass.

If the government was serious about bringing economic growth to Inverclyde then it wouldn’t have pulled funding from the urban regeneration company, cut the local college budget and the housing budget, all of which has disproportionally impacted negatively on our community.

There is no getting away from it, long term commitment and resources from government are essential in any regeneration partnership and will ultimately decide whether Inverclyde will be a winner or a loser in the regeneration game.

Monday 26th May 2014

60 YEARS OF ENABLE SCOTLAND

Last Wednesday evening I attended a debate in Parliament to mark the 60th anniversary of Enable Scotland, a charity that has fought long and hard for people with learning disabilities to be included in society and to enjoy the same rights as everyone else.

The debate was led by my Labour colleague Jackie Baillie, who does a great job heading the cross-party group on learning disability in Parliament. During the debate she rightly pointed out that we have come a long way since 1954 when people with learning disabilities were severely disadvantaged.

Children with a learning disability could not go to school. There was little chance of entering into employment. And there was no hope of living independently. The only choice was to remain in institutional care or stay in the family home.

Largely due to the work of Enable Scotland things have changed for the better. Nowadays the overwhelming majority of people with learning disabilities live in their communities and receive the appropriate care and support. They are part of society and many attend college and have a job.

Nevertheless, there are still barriers that need to be overcome. As my colleague Jackie Baillie emphasised people with learning disabilities continue to experience significant health inequalities and continue to experience isolation and loneliness. More worryingly, statistics show that nine out of ten children with a learning disability are bullied and a similar number are the victims of hate crime.

If Enable Scotland continues to do the fantastic job it has done over the last six decades these barriers can be overcome. I wish the organisation a happy birthday and the same level of success over the next sixty years.