Health secretary apologises over child deaths in Glasgow hospital

1. Health Secretary Jeane Freeman apologises to the parents of two patients who died in the Royal Hospital for Children
2. Ms Freeman expresses her "deepest sympathies" to the families of Milly Main, 10, and three-year-old Mason Djemat
3. She says the head of NHS Scotland will review whether any escalation of measures for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is required

That's all from Holyrood Live

Getty Images

Health secretary Jeane Freeman

That's all from Holyrood Live on Wednesday 20 November 2019.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman apologised to the parents of two patients who died in the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow.

Jeane Freeman expressed her "deepest sympathies" to the families of Milly Main, 10, and three-year-old Mason Djemat.

The two children died three weeks apart in August 2017 at the hospital, which is part of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital campus.

They had been treated on a ward which was affected by water contamination.

Ms Freeman also told parliament she had asked the head of NHS Scotland to review whether any escalation of measures for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde was required.

KIMBERLY DARROCH

10-year-old Milly Main with her mother Kimberly Darroch

Minister in his element

bbc

Science Minister Richard Lochhead

Richard Lochhead says he should have been speaking at the concurrent Royal Society of Chemistry event at Dynamic Earth, Science and the Parliament 2019, but adds he is delighted to be in the chamber.

The science minister hopes MSPs missing from this debate will be at the event.

Mr Lochhead stresses the importance of the chemical sector in Scotland which has an annual turnover of £3.1bn.

Chemistry is quite stable in terms of Higher passes, he tells the chamber and he adds the gender balance at university is also improving.

The science minister cites efforts to attract people to teach chemistry via 107 career changing bursaries in 2018/19 and says more will be offered this year.

Periodic table underpins modern science

BBC

Lib Dem MSP Liam McArthur says the periodic table is a resource that has changed our understanding of the world around us, underpinning modern day scientific research.

The smart phones we rely on are home to 31 different elements, he says.

But this often leaves the elements found in our old phones going to waste he says and calls for more ethical recycling.

Mr McArthur also says there is not a sufficient system for recycling lithium batteries which will be needed as electric vehicles become more popular.

Invest in STEM subjects

bbc

Tory MSP Brian Whittle

Tory MSP Brian Whittle reminds the chamber a long, long time ago he was an industrial chemist.

He says when the first periodic table was produced by Dmitri Medeleev, he was clever enough to leave space for future elements.

Dmitri Mendeleev was the Russian chemist who published his first periodic table of the elements in 1869.

Mr Whittle points out chemistry and other STEM subjects are far from being dry but open up the universe.

He calls for investment in them to ensure Scotland's young minds continue to be at the forefront of discovery.

Periodic table has powered progress for 150 years

Mr Gray begins: "Any of the chemistry teachers I worked with decades ago when I was a physics teacher would probably think it a little ironic that I'm bringing this debate to parliament.

"Because with all the hubris of the young I would then cheerfully disparage chemistry as a discipline, arguing that it was little more than footnotes to physics - or worse a kind of cookery with recipes.

"You should hear what I used to say about biology."

BBC

He says the creation of the periodic table was a real scientific revolution, demonstrating the final move away from the age of alchemy.

It has powered human progress for 150 years he argues and hopes it will do for the next 150.

Celebrating the International Year of the Periodic Table debate

BBC/Facebook

Labour MSP Iain Gray will now lead a debate celebrating the International Year of the Periodic Table.

2019 has been designated by UNESCO as the International Year of the Periodic Table (IYPT) in tandem with the 150th anniversary of the Mendeleev periodic table.

Scottish Parliament

Labour NHS funding motion amended by SNP and agreed to

The NHS funding motion from Labour, as amended by the government, is agreed to with 69 MSPs agreeing to it and with 41 against.

MSPs agreed the amendment from the health secretary 65 to 46.

Scottish Parliament

Here's the Labour motion

Scottish Parliament

The government amendment is above...

The Tory amendment was rejected, as 51 MSPs backed it but 59 did not.

Scottish Parliament

Labour UC motion amended by government agreed

The Scottish Labour motion, as amendment by the government's amendment, is agreed with the support of 65 MSPs, compared to 46 against.

The Scottish government amendment was backed by the same margin.

The Scottish Tory amendment was not agreed (24 for and 87 against).

Scottish Parliament

Labour motion

Scottish Parliament

Scottish government amendment

Five-step process to keep Scotland's NHS boards in line

GETTY IMAGES

QEUH

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman has asked the head of NHS Scotland to review the performance of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

There had been calls for her to put the health board in the Scottish equivalent of "special measures".

Ms Freeman instead announced that the "process of escalation" would be taken forward "as quickly as is possible" - but how does this process work?

Read more here.

'Keep the NHS out of Donald Trump's grubby hands'

bbc

Mr Cole-Hamilton says some areas have worsened since the waiting times improvement plan was introduced.

That calls into serious question where we will be next year and the year after, he adds.

The Lib Dem MSP supports the Tory amendment when it calls for more cash for primary care.

He argues the government motion is too complacent but agrees with one issue when he says "keep the NHS out of Donald Trump's grubby hands".

Treatment time law breached more than 200,000 times

bbc

Alex Cole-Hamilton

Alex Cole-Hamilton says the treatment time guarantee is not being met for 27.5% of patients, according to the latest figures.

The Lib Dem MSP argues the guarantee is being missed by a larger margin than ever before.

The number of times the first minister's treatment time law has been officially breached has surpassed 200,000 times, he says.

Brexit a threat to NHS recruitment says Green MSP

BBC

Green MSP Alison Johnstone says it is unacceptable that too many patients are waiting too long to access services.

There is a need for more investment and better long term planning, she argues.

The hard Brexit being pursued by the Conservatives is one of the greatest threats facing the NHS because we are reliant on recruitment from the EU and EEA the Green MSP insists.

Background: NHS in Scotland could face £1.8bn shortfall without reform

BBC/PA

The health service in Scotland could face a £1.8bn shortfall in less than five years if it is not reformed, the public spending watchdog has said.

Audit Scotland's annual report said the NHS was "seriously struggling to become financially sustainable".

Auditor General Caroline Gardner said the integration of health and social care was too slow and staff were under intense pressure.

The Scottish government said reform was progressing but must happen faster.

All the NHS is getting from SNP is crisis management

Mr Briggs says SNP ministers are further away from missing its 12 week waiting time guarantee than ever.

He tells the chamber the RCPCH has told NHS Lothian it could take up to five years for a complete reopening of the children's hospital in the capital.

Family doctors must be put back at the heart of the NHS, he argues, calling for more funding from Barnett consequentials to be put to primary care.

The Tory MSP says we need to see a long term strategic plan for the NHS and real leadership rather than the crisis management of the SNP.

Here is the Tory amendment

Scottish Parliament

'It is a complete and ongoing failure of this government'

BBC

Scottish Tory health spokesperson Miles Briggs

Scottish Tory health spokesperson Miles Briggs says the 12-week waiting time guarantee has never been met since it was introduced in 2011.

"It is a complete and ongoing failure of this government."

The failure to plan for the future and plan the workforce is directly leading to the failure to meet various targets, he argues.

Mr Briggs says families have been failed by the delay to the new Edinburgh sick kids hospital.

Background: Three-year plan to hit NHS Scotland waiting time targets

Pa

The Scottish government has been under pressure over the length of time some patients have to wait for treatment

In October 2018 Scotland's health secretary pledged key NHS waiting times would be met within the next three years.

Speaking as she set out a new improvement plan, Jeane Freeman admitted that some patients were still having to wait too long for treatment.

A legal requirement for all patients to start treatment within twelve weeks has never been met.

Opposition parties said Ms Freeman's improvement plan was an admission that the government had failed to deliver on its promises to patients.

The Scottish government's main current targets are for:

• 100% of inpatients and day cases to start treatment within the 12-week Treatment Time Guarantee
• 95% of outpatients to wait less than 12 weeks to be seen
• 95% of patients for cancer treatment to be seen within the 62-day

Exempt NHS from any future trade deals

Mr Fitzpatrick says in the last two years there has been an overall reduction in patients waiting more than twelve weeks for an outpatient operation, down by 14%.

The public health minister also points out our A&Es have been the best performing in the UK for four years.

He argues for remaining in the EU as its citizens' contribution to the NHS is vital.

The public health minister observes the NHS does face significant challenges and says the way forward is to invest, reform and absolutely exempt it from any future trade deals.

Here is the government's amendment

Scottish Parliament