TRACKER


A complete round up of all forthcoming parliamentary business


Telephone 0131 272 2114 editor@holyrood.com


UPCOMING CROSS-PARTY GROUPS (continued)


Deafness Room P1.02, 5.15pm Neil Guy: 0131 348 6273 Neil.Guy@scottish.parliament.uk


Beer and the Brewing Industry Room TG.23, 5.20pm Paul Thomson: 0141 848 7361 paul.thomson@scottish.parliament.uk


Palliative Care Committee Room 4, 5.30pm Rebecca Patterson: 0131 229 0538 rebecca@palliativecarescotland.org.uk


Palestine


Committee Room 5, 5.30pm Tony Grahame: 0131 348 5954 Tony.Grahame@scottish.parliament.uk


Co-operatives Room P1.02, 6pm Richard McCready: 0141 304 5465 richard.mccready@scotland.coop


Life Science Room Q1.03, 6pm Neil Guy: 0131 348 6273 Neil.Guy@scottish.parliament.uk


Racial Equality in Scotland Committee Room 5, 6.30pm Jatin Haria: 0141 418 6543 jatin@crer.org.uk


30 June 2011 Digital Participation Room Q1.03, 12.30pm Claire Mack: 0141 229 7403 claire.mack@ofcom.org.uk


Architecture and the Built Environment Room TG.20/21, 1.30pm Eugene Mullan: 0131 535 1414 e.mullan@smith-scott-mullan.co.uk


“immediate and signifi cant” challenges if it is to continue to deliver high-quality healthcare services, Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon told the Health and Sport Committee as she outlined the Scottish Government’s priorities. Sturgeon, who was joined by


NHS Scotland chief executive Derek Feeley and Chief Medical Offi cer, Sir Harry Burns, told the committee that Scotland has recorded a number of important achievements over the past few years, which, she said, “will stand us in good stead as we face up to the challenges ahead.” She continued: “For example, we


have seen dramatic improvements in waiting times; we now have in place a world-leading patient safety programme, which is starting to make a real difference to standards of care and hospital mortality; we have made progress on issues as varied as access to dentistry, support for people with long-term conditions and outcomes for cancer, stroke and heart disease; and we are producing improved outcomes for people through shorter stays in hospital, faster recovery and longer life expectancy. “We also have in place our quality


maximise opportunities for the industry and”. After debate, the amendment was agreed to. Ruth Davidson (Con) moved the


amendment: Delete from “and encourages” to end and insert, “without compromising existing broadcasting capability.” After debate, the amendment was disagreed to by division: For 51, Against 64, Abstentions 0. The motion, as amended, was then agreed to by division: For 69, Against 1, Abstentions 45.


Membership of the Scottish Commission for Public Audit Liam McArthur (LD), on behalf of


the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, moved: That the Parliament agrees to the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body’s proposal to appoint Colin Beattie, Alex Johnstone, Angus MacDonald and John Pentland to be members of the Scottish Commission for Public Audit. The motion was agreed to.


Health and Sport Committee


21 June 2011


By Katie Mackintosh Scotland must respond to some


strategy, which is delivering real progress in terms of positive impacts for patients.” However, she said there are “immediate and signifi cant” challenges that we must respond to and identifi ed three broad challenges in particular: our public health record; changing demographics; and the current economic environment. On the fi rst, Sturgeon said we face


a challenge to improve health-related behaviours, naming action on alcohol misuse as a priority. “Deaths from liver disease in


Scotland are the highest in western Europe, which is why the Government has said that we will continue to prioritise action to address our relationship with alcohol.” Moving to the demographic challenge, she pointed out that over the next ten years the proportion of over-75s in our population will increase by more than 25 per cent. “That is why the Government has


identifi ed care for older people as a signifi cant priority, with a focus on improving care for people with


dementia, a wider programme of work to reshape and improve care for people with multiple and complex conditions, and the integration of health and social care. We have a big job to do to ensure that older people receive, in a sustainable way, the care, compassion, support and dignity that they need and deserve,” she said. She also highlighted the economic environment and current fi nancial situation, and said that while the revenue position of the health service has been protected; that protection must be viewed in the context of global pressures on health spending, such as demography, drugs costs, changes in national insurance and VAT and rising energy costs. “To meet such pressures, health boards in this fi nancial year are working to release cash savings of around £300 million, which will be retained locally for reinvestment in services. We have also developed and are implementing an effi ciency and productivity framework to assist boards in identifying and realising opportunities for cost savings,” she said. Effi ciency and quality are “very


much two sides of the same coin,” she insisted, adding that more effi cient care is often higher-quality care, and vice versa. She added: “The relationship


between effi ciency and quality, and delivering that relationship in practice, will be an overarching theme of the Government’s approach over the next few years.” Scotland must “create and develop


a shared vision for the future of the NHS that best meets future healthcare needs in a sustainable way”, which she termed a ’20:20 vision’. She explained: “It is very much a


vision of a system in which we have integrated primary and social care and which has a focus on prevention, anticipation and supported self- management in order that people can live longer and healthier lives—and can do so, whenever possible, at home or in the community.” Sturgeon was also questioned about


the Government’s plans to reintroduce legislation on minimum pricing, and asked whether this will be fast-tracked or does the Government intend to return to “square 1”.


27 June 2011 Holyrood 63


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