Monday 29^th December 2014

NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS

A column for the New Year wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the New Year’s resolutions.

At this moment in time, millions of individuals across the world will be taking the opportunity to recognise their shortcomings and promising to get into better habits, whether it’s a commitment to stop smoking, to get more exercise or to spend more time with the family.

I hope that politicians are also looking to the future and are writing down some New Year’s resolutions of their own.  If they are doing so, there would be two things that I hope would be at the top of the list.

The first would be a promise to make devolution work by using the significant powers the Scottish Parliament already has, as well as the additional powers that are on the way, in order to change people’s lives for the better.

By change I mean such things as ensuring that we make work pay, that our young people get access to good quality jobs, that those people who want to return to college to have a second chance of getting an education have the opportunity to do so, and reducing the scourge of anti-social behaviour in our communities.

Second, and just as importantly, I hope that politicians also make a resolution to bring the country together, both young and old and both ‘yes’ and ‘no’ voters. A united society is a stronger society and is better placed to make significant progress on the issues that matter to people’s everyday lives.

Wednesday 24^th December 2014

CHRISTMAS MESSAGE

Putting aside the constant re-loop of seventies and eighties Christmas songs in the supermarkets and shops, I think most people would agree that Christmas is a really nice period of the year.

The carols, the lights, presents under the tree, the excitement in kids’ faces, and of course, spending some quality time with the family, all make for an enjoyable experience.

Needless to say, not everyone will be able to sit back and relax for the holidays. As I often do at this time of year, I would like to pay tribute to all those people who are working through the holiday period and who help to make Inverclyde the great community that it is.

The shop workers serving queues a mile long of people getting the last minute Christmas presents or the best offers on the sales while doing it all with a smile on their face.

The Police officers walking the streets on the cold winter nights keeping our communities safe and giving us a friendly nod whenever they pass us by.

The nurses and doctors run off their feet tending to patient after patient in wards at the Inverclyde Royal Hospital and doing so with compassion and kindness.

The ambulance staff attending emergency calls throughout the night encountering some really harrowing situations.

And of course, those armed personnel who are away from their loved ones serving overseas, putting themselves in harm’s way.

I would like to say a big thank you to all these people for their dedication, decency and hard work and I wish them all the best for the New Year when it comes.

Monday 22^nd December 2014

YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT

Last week in Parliament, the Scottish Government presented its own strategy to reduce youth unemployment which unfortunately stands at 67,000 in Scotland.

The ambition to get more young people into work is something that we can all support. But the aim shouldn’t be simply about getting young people jobs it should also be about getting them good quality jobs.

Essential to this objective of course is the role of the college sector, which for decades has provided access and opportunities for the younger generation putting them on the career ladder. The James Watt College was a case in point.

However, if our colleges are to continue playing this vital role then we need to ensure that they are properly funded.

The problem here is that the Scottish Government has been raiding Further Education budgets since coming to power.

In last week’s statement regarding the strategy, the Minister for Youth Employment, Roseanna Cunningham, said that colleges would be allocated monies to support the drive to get youth unemployment down.  I sincerely hope that she holds to this promise.

But the commitment of finance and investment in the future must be seen in the context of the huge cuts that the Scottish Government has already implemented to the college sector.

There must also be recognition that the funding should be allocated on a needs basis. It’s clear that a place such as Inverclyde which has suffered from depopulation and as a consequence has fewer jobs and business opportunities requires greater support than other parts of Scotland.

Getting more young people here in Inverclyde and across Scotland into work is a great ambition which I support. Investment in our young people is an investment in our future.

Monday 15th December 2014

A RENEWED PARTNERSHIP

Ardgowan Hospice has been a cornerstone of the Inverclyde community for over thirty years, leading the way in terms of providing high quality, end of life care for patients and their families.
Indeed, my own family, as do many other families, continue to benefit from the first class services provided by its staff. Their focus on choice for patients and personalised care is something the wider NHS could learn from.

So it was with pleasure that on Friday I had the opportunity to speak at the launch of a renewed partnership which has worked so well for a number of years, between the hospice and another esteemed institution, the University of the West of Scotland, the largest provider of health and nursing education in Scotland.

Since it was established, Ardgowan hospice has constantly looked to innovate itself, in order to tailor its services to meet the needs of patients and families.

The renewed collaboration with the University has been enshrined so that the hospice can continue its journey as a centre of excellence providing high quality evidence based care.

With the elderly population set to rise significantly and people with complex needs such as dementia living longer the pressure on our NHS will increase. To help relieve this pressure, the Scottish Government wants to see more people cared for within the community.

It’s in this context that services such as those provided by Ardgowan hospice will become even more important, and it should be applauded for its continuing attempts to innovate which will allow it to adapt to the changing care landscape.

I wish the hospice well in its new endeavour, and I’m sure it will be leading the way for another thirty years to the great benefit of patients, their families and the wider community.

Monday 8^th December 2014

HUGE CHALLENGES FACING OUR NHS

Another week and another damning report on our National Health Service. On Tuesday, it was the turn of inspection watchdog Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS).

Their review into the safety and quality of care at the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary found low morale amongst staff, poor leadership from management and most worryingly of all, problems with patient flow and capacity potentially putting patients’ safety at risk.

The Scottish Government can no longer afford to dismiss such findings as isolated incidents. Following critical reports of recent times in NHS Lanarkshire, NHS Lothian and NHS Greater, Glasgow and Clyde its clear there are systemic problems facing our greatly respected institution which we ignore at our peril.

However, the day following the report on the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, it was announced there would be an additional one hundred and twenty five million pounds flowing from the Barnet consequentials for the Scottish Government to spend on the health and social care sector.

In the coming weeks we have an opportunity to have a reasoned and honest debate about how we can spend this money differently. We need to ask ourselves if recruiting our way out of this problem really is the best solution. And we also need to consider if the current waiting time targets are sustainable and whether or not they are adversely impacting on other areas of hospital care.

Where I think we can all agree, is that we must invest more money into community care so that unplanned admissions to hospital are reduced and to prevent people from occupying beds they don’t need. Let us use this consensus to move forward and to meet the huge challenges facing our National Health Service.

Monday 1^st December 2014

POWERS FOR A PURPOSE

On September 18th the people of Inverclyde and Scotland voted to remain in the United Kingdom.  But they also sent out a clear message that the status quo was no longer an option and that they wanted change.

In response, the political parties made a promise to deliver a powerhouse parliament. Last week, that commitment was delivered when the Smith Commission, which was set up in the wake of the Independence Referendum, set out a range of measures which will transform Holyrood forever.

The proposals will see extensive new powers over tax, welfare and job creation being transferred to the Scottish Parliament, which will sit alongside the substantial powers it already has over health, education, transport and justice.

I have argued, for some considerable time, both publicly and within the Labour Party, for extending the powers to the parliament and so I warmly welcome last week’s announcement. However, we need to ensure that we use these new powers with a purpose.

For too long, the Scottish Government have complained about the powers that they don’t have, rather than using the ones they already have at their disposal. As a result, huge inequalities between the poorest and richest parts of the country still remain, in-work-poverty is sadly rising, poor pay is the norm for many and tens of thousands of college places have been slashed.

Following last week’s announcement by the Smith Commission, we now have a massive opportunity to change the way we do politics for the benefit of the people of Inverclyde and Scotland. I call on politicians from all sides to finally rise to this challenge.

Monday 24^th November 2014

TIME TO FOCUS ON THE REAL ISSUES

Nicola Sturgeon’s appointment as First Minister dominated the news agenda last week. But below the headlines there are a number of issues that show she will have to hit the ground running, particularly with regard to our National Health Service.

Just recently an investigation conducted by one newspaper revealed that three thousand patients had been treated in the wrong hospital department throughout the summer months hampering their recovery.

Further to this, the Healthcare Environment Inspectorate’s latest inspection into Hairmyres hospital in NHS Lanarkshire, found numerous pieces of patient equipment had been contaminated and significant amounts of dust and grime in wards because cleaning procedures were was not being properly followed.

And it emerged only a few days ago, that the new system that was promised over a year ago by the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Alex Neil, which would ensure better access to medicines for people suffering from cancer and rare diseases has still not come into effect across Scotland.

For too long politics has been dominated by the constitution. The new First Minister has it in her power to return the focus of Parliament to normal politics and concentrate on the day-to-day issues that matter to the people of Scotland, not only with regard to our National Health Service, but with respect to jobs, low pay, college places and crime.

In Parliament last week, she sent out a strong signal that this was her intention. If our new First Minister achieves this, she will certainly have my support and would deserve the support of all the political parties.

21st November 2014

MCNEIL BACKS BILL TO REFORM FATAL ACCIDENT INQUIRY SYSTEM

Local MSP Duncan McNeil has signed up to a Bill which aims to radically overhaul Scotland’s controversial FAI system.

The Inquiries into Deaths (Scotland) Bill aims to create a system for investigating sudden and accidental deaths which is fit for purpose; allowing for a thorough investigation; and subsequently allowing for lessons to be learned from the death.

Duncan McNeil said:

“I firmly believe that the time has come for a root and branch reform of the current system.”

“Most importantly the Bill aims to put the families of the deceased at the heart of the process which is one of the most common criticisms of the current system for investigating fatal accidents.”

“The experience of the families who tragically lost their loved ones in the Flying Phantom Disaster shows why we need a radical overhaul of the FAI system.”

“This Bill will give families of the bereaved a voice and the chance to get to the full truth of what went wrong. While this may not replace their sense of loss it may just give them the closure they need to move on with their lives”

Monday 17^th November 2014

HUMAN RIGHTS

Human rights “are the world of the individual person; the neighbourhood he lives in; the school or college he attends; the factory, farm or office where he works. Such are the places where every man, woman and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination”.

Those are the fine and inspiring words of Eleanor Roosevelt, an architect of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights all those years ago.  It was this quote that I used to start my speech on human rights in Parliament last week.

While there can be no doubting there has been huge progress since these famous words were uttered, progress for some groups in society has been slower than others. One such group is people with dementia.

Despite warm words from the Scottish Government on improving care for people with dementia in hospital, time and again we hear reports that their rights are not being respected, the most prominent of which, are the right to be treated with dignity and respect, and the right to treated as a unique individual who receives personalised care.

A recent inspection report of the Victoria Infirmary Hospital in Glasgow found patients not being dressed in their own clothes; incontinence aids and cleansing foam kept in full view at the end of a patient’s bed; and a large number of patients sitting in a small lounge area or the dining area for long periods with very little stimulation or interactions with staff.

Eleanor Roosevelt also said that “without concerted citizen action to uphold human rights close to home, we shall look at vain for progress in the larger world”. The time for words is over, the Scottish Government must act to ensure human rights belong to everyone.

Monday 10^th November 2014

SCOTLAND’S DRUGS STRATEGY

There are very few towns or cities in Scotland that aren’t affected by drug misuse. Indeed, last week, a grim report was published by the National Health Service which revealed there are currently 60,000 problem drug users across the country.

In Inverclyde alone, there are a staggering seventeen hundred. Worryingly, the area has a higher rate of drug addicts among its younger population than anywhere else in Scotland.

 Add to this, the unacceptable levels of drug deaths that have occurred in the area over the past few years, and it’s clear the Scottish Government’s national drug strategy The Road to Recovery, which waslaunched in 2008,has reached a dead end.

The government must recognise that some communities have more of a problem than others when it comes to drug misuse, and must review its strategy to meet the needs of communities like Inverclyde.

Personally, I feel there are a number of things that must be central to any strategy. First, there should be a greater emphasis on helping addicts recover from their addiction and ensuring better training for staff involved in drug services to enable this to happen.

Second, we need more early intervention schemes for those kids who are unfortunate enough to be trapped in drug fuelled environments. By getting them out of the environment, we can give them a better chance in life and help to break the cycle.

And finally, more must be done to educate young people about the dangers of taking drugs.

If the Scottish Government provides greater focus on these three aspects, it will get the drug strategy out of the dead end it’s found itself in and back on the road to recovery.