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.