Jenni Minto
Scottish National Party · Scotland
“I would like to reflect on Willie Rennie’s comments. Bute welcomed families from Syria, who are now an integral part of the island. In Lochgilphead, Ukrainian families have settled and helped to revitalise the town’s main street with two new businesses.”
“Mòran taing, Oifigear Riaghlaidh. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. I want to start with the words of one of my constituents: “I am not a politician, nor do I ever wish to become one. I am a leatherworker, a father and a business owner.”
“Ben Macpherson: There are many initiatives and policies in this space to encourage and support our young people to ensure that they can fulfil their potential, including the free tuition that the Government has provided for students.”
“Yesterday, I met pupils at Sunnyside primary school in Glasgow, and we talked about climate change, the Celtic and Amazonian rainforests and the fact that Scotland is the proud host of a rainforest. In my constituency, Dunoon grammar school won the world’s best school prize for community collaboration.”
“If any of the Reform members had taken part in my colleague Maggie Chapman’s debate on university education, they would have heard me talk about the Scottish Association for Marine Science, which is in Oban, in my constituency.”
“He spoke about the impact that Brexit had had on his business and how, because of that vote, his order book collapsed. He had to find new ways of marketing and promoting his business to ensure that he and his family survived. He spoke about the support that he had received from the SNP to expand his business.”
The complete record
Every one of 586 lines we hold for Jenni Minto, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 9 of 12.
“Rapid cancer diagnostic services provide primary care with access to a fast-track diagnostic pathway for non-specific symptoms suspicious of cancer, such as weight loss and fatigue. All RCDSs and non-specific cancer pathways across the UK have similar, clinically agreed criteria for referral. There are specific and well-established referral guidelines for children and young people as part of the Scottish referral guidelines for suspected cancer, which have recently been clinically reviewed. The updated guidelines will be published in July. That will be supported by the provision of education resources to support primary care to make the most appropriate referral to the most appropriate pathway.”
“Will the minister commit to working urgently with the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, councils, the independent schools sector and NHS boards to reach a resolution that ends that unjust discrimination against sick and disabled children in Scotland? Jenni Minto: In response to Mr Hoy’s follow-up question, I was aware of the situation involving his constituent Lawrence. As I believe that Ms Gilruth said when Mr Hoy previously raised the issue, ultimately, the decision is one for her to take. However, I am very happy to work with her to address the situation from a health perspective.”
“Craig Hoy: The minister should be aware of the case involving Lawrence, a constituent of mine who suffers from leukaemia. Lawrence experienced the distress of watching other children on his ward receive education from the City of Edinburgh Council’s hospital schooling service at the sick kids hospital, while he was denied it because he attends a school in the independent sector, and his parents could not pay the £115 an hour that the council charges in such circumstances. Since I raised Lawrence’s case, more parents have been in touch with me—and with bodies that represent independent schools—to highlight similar injustices. Several cases involve children with a disability being refused access to specialist equipment, such as aids for hearing impairment, or having it withdrawn, because they attend independent schools.”
“Section 14 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 places a statutory duty on local authorities to make special arrangements for any child or young person who is absent from school for a prolonged period, due to ill health, to enable them to continue their education while they are away from their regular school. I confirm that officials have discussed the matter with the City of Edinburgh Council. NHS Lothian and the City of Edinburgh Council recognise their responsibilities under the statutory duty, and they have set up the Little France teaching centre within the hospital. The centre uses teachers who are employed by the council, and that service is available for all children and young people during their stay in the hospital.”
“The Deputy Presiding Officer: Elena Whitham has a supplementary question—hopefully with reference to the question, which of course concerns access to NHS dentistry in Dumfries and”
“I have been working closely with my counterparts and with the directors of dentistry across each of those nations to ensure that we can reach a four-country solution. We need to improve the pipeline of dentists coming into the country and ensure that those who are in Scotland after training in other countries have the right UK training to allow them to step up to become dentists here. In line with this year’s programme for government, we have increased dentistry funding by 15 per cent, which is the highest-ever proportional increase for the sector. We are also working closely with rural boards to ensure that specific payments that are intended to encourage dentists to move to rural and island locations are more targeted.”
“Does the minister recognise that, had the Government acted on the warnings from NHS Dumfries and Galloway, more than five years ago, that a crisis was looming, my constituents would not have had to go private to get dental healthcare? Given that the actions of the Government are clearly not working, what more does it plan to do, and when will that start to have an impact? Jenni Minto: As I said in my earlier answer, I recognise that there are issues in Dumfries and Galloway, and the Government is currently working closely with the health board on them. The situation that Mr Smyth describes is occurring not just within Scotland but across the four nations of the United Kingdom.”
“In recognition of the particularly challenging circumstances in Dumfries and Galloway, the Scottish Government will continue to provide additional financial assistance to the local health board in 2025-26, including to deliver additional evening clinics for unregistered priority patients. My officials also continue to work closely with the health board, and they meet the director of dentistry regularly. Colin Smyth: The reality is that the registration rate is not just the lowest in the country; it is getting worse. Nearly 3,000 fewer adults are registered than there were at this time last year, so it is pretty clear that the Government’s current approach is simply not working.”
“Published in Edinburgh by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, EH99 1SP All documents are available on the Scottish Parliament website at: www.parliament.scot Information on non-endorsed print suppliers is available here: www.parliament.scot/documents For information on the Scottish Parliament contact Public Information on: Telephone: 0131 348 5000 Textphone: 0800 092 7100 Email: sp.info@parliament.scot”
“Motion agreed to, That the Parliament agrees that the relevant provisions of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, introduced in the House of Commons on 5 November 2024, and subsequently amended relating to age verification in relation to tobacco and vaping products etc, so far as these matters fall within the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament and alter the executive competence of the Scottish Ministers, should be considered by the UK Parliament. The Presiding Officer: That concludes decision time. Meeting closed at 16:24. This is the final edition of the Official Report for this meeting. It is part of the Scottish Parliament Official Report archive and has been sent for legal deposit.”
“Motion moved, That, under Rule 11.2.4, Decision Time be brought forward to 4:23 pm.—[Lorna Slater] Motion agreed to. Decision Time 16:23 The Presiding Officer: There is one question to be put as a result of today’s business. The question is, that S6M-17708, in the name of Jenni Minto, on a legislative consent motion on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which is United Kingdom legislation, be agreed to.”
“I move, That the Parliament agrees that the relevant provisions of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, introduced in the House of Commons on 5 November 2024, and subsequently amended relating to age verification in relation to tobacco and vaping products etc, so far as these matters fall within the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament and alter the executive competence of the Scottish Ministers, should be considered by the UK Parliament. The Presiding Officer: The question on the motion will be put at decision time. Motion without Notice 16:24 The Presiding Officer: I am minded to accept a motion without notice, under rule 11.2.4 of standing orders, that decision time be brought forward to now. I invite Lorna Slater to move such a motion.”
“To put the Tobacco and Vapes Bill in context, around 9,000 people a year die from tobacco-related illnesses in Scotland. Each one of those people is a loved one—a family member—whose life has been shortened through tobacco addiction. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill is about preventing young people from becoming hooked on tobacco by keeping them from starting to use tobacco and creating a tobacco-free Scotland by 2034. Scotland has a range of world-leading tobacco control measures. We were the first country to introduce a ban on smoking in indoor public places, in March 2006.”
“The Deputy Presiding Officer: Thank you, minister. That concludes the debate. Meeting closed at 18:00. This is the final edition of the Official Report for this meeting. It is part of the Scottish Parliament Official Report archive and has been sent for legal deposit. Published in Edinburgh by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, EH99 1SP All documents are available on the Scottish Parliament website at: www.parliament.scot Information on non-endorsed print suppliers is available here: www.parliament.scot/documents For information on the Scottish Parliament contact Public Information on: Telephone: 0131 348 5000 Textphone: 0800 092 7100 Email: sp.info@parliament.scot”
“Overcoming those workforce challenges will not happen overnight, and it will take time to support students in our workforce. During that time, it is therefore vital that we work together to ensure that the people of Scotland receive the care that they need to manage their conditions. I commit to keeping open any lines of communication with representatives of independent providers, and I will invite their input when discussions on the development of a community model for audiology progress. I agree that there is much to do and that it is vital that we get this right for the people of Scotland. I am confident that we in Government are already taking the right steps to deliver sustainable, safe, effective and efficient services to support hearing loss for our population in the longer term, and the matter has my full focus.”
“Ms Dowey and others noted that independent audiology providers have the skills, information technology connectivity and capacity to support our audiology services. I do not disagree that independent audiology providers are giving a great level of care to those who use them. However, the NHS continues to be the majority care provider for the people of Scotland, accounting for around 80 per cent of all audiology care. We must also recognise that, due to shared pipelines, independent providers face similar workforce challenges to the NHS. We are working to address the shortfall in the number of trained audiology graduates through our commitment to develop a career pathway for those studying healthcare sciences. We are working with stakeholders across Scotland to ensure that that will provide a pipeline of staff to bolster audiology services.”
“The feedback from users has been extremely positive, with regard to both decreasing the pressures on our acute services and providing direct support to those who are affected. In response to Mr Lumsden, I say that that is one of the key things that we must remember. As I say in a lot of meetings, it is about the third sector, health boards and the Government working together to make those connections. I heard from users of the Near You service and the RNID, which provides that service, about the importance of the relationship. The RNID felt that it could take people away from the front door of hospitals to allow hospitals to treat those with more acuity. I agree with Mr Lumsden that we must make sure that there is aftercare, but we need to check where that aftercare is best placed.”
“That is part of the work that we are doing to ensure that we have the right evidence base so that we deliver value for money and ensure sustainability in the longer term. The commitment is evident through our on-going work with the Royal National Institute for Deaf People to deliver the Near You service, which is supported by nearly £250,000 of funding. Christine Grahame mentioned the service in NHS Borders. I had the privilege of seeing the work at first hand during a visit to Portobello library in the NHS Lothian area in February. As Christine Grahame noted, Near You offers free hearing checks, hearing aid services and aftercare, as well as information and peer support on matters such as hearing aid maintenance and assistive technology for those who are deaf and are experiencing hearing loss or tinnitus.”
“I speak to many people who have NHS hearing aids, but they never go back to get them checked. That is something else that we are missing out on. The Deputy Presiding Officer: I can give you the time back for that, minister. Jenni Minto: I will touch on Mr Lumsden’s second point later in my speech. I am afraid that I cannot give timelines, but that conversation started earlier today with regard to moving on audiology in the community. The Scottish Government has a strong desire to deliver care as close to the patient as possible. That is an example of where our population-based planning principles will provide benefits to patients and staff. As I highlighted, we have been working specifically on the “Independent Review of Audiology Services in Scotland” report.”
“References have also been made to the Scottish National Party manifesto commitment to bolster community audiology provision to help to free up capacity in our acute sector. The Scottish Government remains committed to that vision. We are all familiar with the manifold benefits that increasing community provision brings, both in reducing the cost of services and in supporting patients to receive care when they need it, without the constraints of waiting times, as members have referenced with regard to optician services. Douglas Lumsden: It is good to hear that the Government is still committed to community audiology. Can the minister give a timescale for when that change will start to happen? Getting access to the service initially is only one issue; the follow-up is also missing.”
“There is possibly the same stigma about the size of hearing aids, as opposed to the much smaller ones that are currently available. That was a really important point, which was well made. As with many of our clinical services, waiting times are increasing, and patients cannot access them as quickly as we would like. However, the 2025-26 budget provides record funding of £21 billion for health and social care, and health boards are receiving an additional £200 million to reduce waiting lists and support the reduction of delayed discharges. I hope that that funding will be a welcome addition to health boards, and it should build on the work that they have already been doing to address waiting times by reducing their failed-to-attend rates through patient-focused bookings.”
“I was struck by Christine Grahame’s comments on stigma and the differences in the way that we treat sight and hearing. I will take that away for when I speak to my officials again; I had a conversation with them this afternoon about the Scottish Government’s work on audiology more widely. Christine Grahame: That point is one of the reasons why many people disguise the fact that they cannot hear what is going on, which makes it worse for them. They suppress it, because they know that it will be an amusement to many people. Jenni Minto: Christine Grahame has raised an important point. While she was speaking, I was thinking about the difference. My father wore glasses from a very young age and could only have the NHS-style ones; now, however, there are so many different styles that people can get.”
“The publication of the report “Independent Review of Audiology Services in Scotland” highlighted real failings in the way that care was delivered in Scotland, but it also recognised opportunities to build on the services to give real improvements to those who use them. As Sharon Dowey and others have pointed out, the number of adults in Scotland with age-related hearing loss is growing. Almost one in six of the population experiences some form of hearing loss. It is right that we should provide those patients with a clinical service that meets their needs—not only to diagnose their condition quickly and efficiently but to manage that condition and lessen the impacts of social isolation and loneliness. I, too, will attend the cross-party group meeting tonight.”
“I, too, thank Sharon Dowey for lodging the motion. I welcome the opportunity to conclude the debate. I also thank everybody for the tone of their contributions—clearly, the topic is something on which we all agree. I note Roz McCall’s comments about the connections between sight and hearing loss and dementia. Although dementia does not sit in my portfolio, I know that Maree Todd will be very interested in the conversations and the points that were raised. From personal experience, I recognise the importance of supporting people who live with dementia with their hearing so that they avoid loneliness, as many have commented. I reiterate the Scottish Government’s commitment to improvements in the way that audiology services are delivered.”
“Through our women’s health plan, we have already undertaken steps to raise awareness and support better understanding of PMDD among healthcare professionals, by commissioning NHS education for Scotland to create training on menstrual health, which includes PMDD. Our NHS Inform women’s health platform provides women and girls with access to information on menstrual health and PMDD. I was not able to meet the researchers, but some of the women’s health team did. We are considering Dr Matthews’ findings as we develop the next phase of the women’s health plan. The Deputy Presiding Officer: That concludes portfolio questions for health and social care. There will be a brief pause to allow front-bench members to change over before we move to the next item of business. Teaching Workforce”
“Dr Lynsay Matthews of the University of the West of Scotland and Ms Julie Riddell of the University of Glasgow have led the first significant research in this area, and it indicates that there is a lack of knowledge and understanding among key professionals and services in the United Kingdom. Will the Scottish Government engage with that important research and consider the priorities that are identified such as awareness raising, training, early diagnosis and holistic psychological support? Jenni Minto: I thank Clare Adamson for raising the topic in the chamber. We know that work is still to be done to address the stigma and lack of understanding that surrounds menstrual health, including PMDD.”
“The Scottish Government’s ambition is for a Scotland where women enjoy the best possible health throughout their lives. Premenstrual dysphoric disorder—or PMDD—and its impact on mental health is recognised in the women’s health plan. Our mental health and wellbeing strategy lays out our vision for improving mental health so that anyone who needs help can get the right help in the right place at the right time. We expect that mental health care and treatment will be delivered in a person-centred manner to meet the needs of each individual, including those who are affected by PMDD. Clare Adamson: PMDD is a severe form of pre- menstrual syndrome, which is characterised by debilitating psychological systems, and it is heartening that PMDD is included in the Scottish Government’s women’s health plan.”
“That is exactly the message that I passed on to British Heart Foundation Scotland and Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland. I agree that we need to continue our approach, and that is exactly the way that I will continue working as we gather information from the consultation. The Deputy Presiding Officer: A number of members want to ask supplementary questions. I will try to get everyone in, but they will need to be brief.”
“Collaboration between everyone who is involved in tackling heart disease is crucial. The long-term conditions framework could result in a deprioritisation of conditions such as heart disease. Will the minister guarantee that collaboration will take place between those stakeholders and the Scottish Government to ensure that the 730,000 people in Scotland living with heart disease are not forgotten about? Jenni Minto: I agree that it is important that third sector clinicians and people living with heart conditions are properly consulted. The long-term conditions framework will focus on ensuring equitable and sustainable access to the services that all people with long-term conditions need, while still allowing for targeted action on condition- specific care and support where necessary.”
“The Scottish Government carried out engagement and consultation with a wide range of stakeholders during the development of the long-term conditions framework consultation. That included a heart disease lived experience focus group, a third sector event—attended by heart disease organisations—and a meeting with the heart disease clinical leads. There have also been ministerial meetings with British Heart Foundation Scotland and Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland. The consultation is now live, and I encourage clinicians, health professionals, those in the third sector and people with lived experience to respond. Sue Webber: Last week, British Heart Foundation Scotland published figures that showed that Scotland has seen the first sustained rise in heart disease deaths in a generation. We must halt that trend.”
“If Ms Gosal would like to write to me directly about the situation, I would be happy to look into it. We remain absolutely committed to our vision of an integrated community-based hearing service in Scotland. Preventative Initiatives and Services 2.”
“Pam Gosal: I have been contacted by one of my constituents, who said that her husband waited 19 months for a hearing assessment. He was then advised that he had moderate hearing loss and that he would benefit from hearing aids. The assessment took place in October 2024, yet he still does not know when he will receive his hearing aids. Meanwhile, my constituent has pointed out that her sister-in-law in Northern Ireland waited only six months for an assessment and was able to have her hearing aids fitted at the same appointment. A lack of hearing assessments and hearing aids can lead to one’s quality of life deteriorating. How can something so simple yet so important take so long? Jenni Minto: Pam Gosal is absolutely right— that is not the right way to support people who are living with hearing loss. They should not have to wait so long.”
“Our 2025-26 budget provides record funding of £21 billion for health and social care, and national health service boards are receiving an additional £200 million to reduce waiting lists and to help support reduction of delayed discharge. With that funding, we will deliver more than 150,000 extra appointments and procedures across a number of specialities in the coming year, which will ensure that people receive the care that they need as quickly as possible. Ear, nose and throat services will be an important part of that work, to which more than £9 million of the funding will be allocated. That will increase the number of new out-patient appointments that are available in 2025-26 and will ensure that patients receive the treatment that they require.”
“It is part of the Scottish Parliament Official Report archive and has been sent for legal deposit. Published in Edinburgh by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, EH99 1SP All documents are available on the Scottish Parliament website at: www.parliament.scot Information on non-endorsed print suppliers is available here: www.parliament.scot/documents For information on the Scottish Parliament contact Public Information on: Telephone: 0131 348 5000 Textphone: 0800 092 7100 Email: sp.info@parliament.scot”
“Improving health and reducing health inequalities across Scotland remains a clear ambition for the Government. In order to tackle the mounting challenge, the Scottish Government and COSLA, in collaboration with wider partners, are developing a population health framework to take a cross-Government and cross-sector approach to improve the key building blocks of health. The framework will consider what action can be taken to mitigate the socioeconomic drivers of ill health in order to build a Scotland in which our places and communities can positively support health and wellbeing. The work that we are doing on gambling will directly support that framework. I look forward to working with the Parliament and more widely on the issue in the coming year. Meeting closed at 17:47. This is the final edition of the Official Report for this meeting.”
“In July 2024, Public Health Scotland published a briefing on gambling and suicide that outlines some of the work that the Scottish Government is doing with Public Health Scotland to tackle the issue. I also note how important cross- parliamentary work is. I welcome the introduction of a statutory levy on the gambling industry that will provide much- needed funding for the hidden issue. I have been in written dialogue with Baroness Twycross about the levy, and I note Ben Macpherson’s suggestion about engaging with Ruth Davidson. The levy is a significant step forward. The expectation is that Scotland will receive a fair allocation of funding for treatment and prevention activity this year. I look forward to working with the Welsh and UK Governments on that.”
“Just under two years ago, I was at a gambling harms event where I listened to a very personal testimony, which highlighted to me the stigma and embarrassment that that individual experienced. He made it clear that it is a public health issue and it should be treated as a public health issue. I note Clare Adamson’s and Ben Macpherson’s comments about football and the unique social role that football clubs play in our society. I often say that football is on the front pages, the back pages and the centre pages of our newspapers. I note the round table on football that Ben Macpherson has highlighted and I will speak to Ms Todd about his suggestion about including gambling as a topic there.”
“Last year, Ms Todd and I met Glasgow City Council, which, between 2022 and 2023, led a pilot of a whole-system approach to tackling gambling harm that demonstrated the complexity of the local system and the number of factors in gambling- related harms, including, as members have mentioned, the number of betting shops on our high streets. Even though it is there in full view, we know that gambling is a hidden condition that is highly stigmatising and can have a significant impact on the mental health of individuals and their families. As Ben Macpherson, Alexander Stewart and Stuart McMillan said, we do not talk about gambling enough and we need a person-centred approach.”
“In April 2020, the Scottish Government and Public Health Scotland, along with partners in the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, academia and the third sector, convened a national gambling harm working group to develop a Scottish public health approach to reduce gambling-related harms. Critically, that included holding engagement sessions earlier this year with those with lived experience and third sector stakeholders to inform our approach. Their voices and experience were welcomed, and I thank them for their advice. As another part of that work, Public Health Scotland has also published a healthcare needs assessment that describes what is needed for gambling treatment services, from local recovery support through to specialist clinical input.”
“As I have highlighted, it is important that our children are protected from the harms of gambling. I am concerned, as are many members, about the reports of increasing numbers of children experiencing gambling-related harm. A number of members talked about the impact of children’s games, and we need to be aware of that. I welcome the work of Fast Forward to develop an early intervention and prevention programme, providing workshops, training and resources for children, young people, parents and carers, practitioners and communities for gambling-related harm across Scotland.”
“Sometimes, as a switch-off, I play games on my phone, and there were a couple of adverts on there that I was really concerned about. I felt that they were being directed specifically at young people, so the authority was able to have a look at that. It is important that, in our roles, if we spot such things, we know the right people and can emphasise to them the damage that could be done. Along the same lines, I welcome the recent launch of the Aila website, which has been developed by the RCA Trust and Simon Community Scotland to provide a resource that is focused on women’s experiences of gambling- related harms. It is also a source for finding support when it is needed, and it has advice on how to provide professional support to women in need.”
“We see a lot of the betting apps being used in sports programmes and on those kinds of platforms, but a targeted-to- women advert is usually about the friendship group and having fun. Sparkles and characters are used to lure women into that feeling, but at the end of the day it is just gambling. Jenni Minto: I thank Clare Adamson for her intervention. I was trying to work out a way of introducing that side of things, so I thank her for commenting on that. When watching certain television programmes, the number of different styles and colours that are used in the adverts is noticeable and, as Clare Adamson said, there is a pulling in through friendship. I have met the Advertising Standards Authority to talk about that.”
“Those who gamble tend to have lower levels of mental wellbeing in comparison with those who do not, and gambling can, sadly, even lead to an increased risk of suicide, as both Alexander Stewart and Stuart McMillan mentioned. Anyone can be harmed by gambling, and it is estimated that at least six people are directly affected by the person who is experiencing gambling harms, with women more likely to be one of the others affected. I am also aware that women could be gambling in a hidden context, which Alexander Stewart talked about. It is a wider harm that is often overlooked. We need to ensure that those people know— Clare Adamson: On that point, does the minister share my concern about the targeted nature of some advertising?”
“I, too, thank Clare Adamson for raising this important topic in Parliament, and I thank every member who has taken part in the debate, because it has been really helpful. As Clare Adamson said, gambling addiction is a serious public health issue. As we have heard from every member who has contributed, it affects not only people who gamble, but their families and relationships, communities and wider society. As Clare Adamson and other members said, gambling exacerbates health inequalities—I think that it was Claire Baker who specifically highlighted that—with the burden of harm being borne by those already facing disadvantage.”
“I have also visited the NHS Lothian thrombectomy hub, where I learned at first hand how the east of Scotland thrombectomy service works and discussed with clinical and service management the issues of sustainable delivery, staffing levels and equity of access. As I said in my first response, work is on-going to establish the most effective means of further expanding access to thrombectomy to maximise the number of patients who are able to benefit from the treatment. Non-domestic Rates (Self-catering Operators) 5.”
“He was failed by the FAST—face, arms, speech, time—test, by the lack of 24/7 thrombectomy services and by a 17-hour wait for a procedure that works only if delivered quickly. That is indefensible. Scotland does not have a modern stroke service; we have a part-time system that is costing lives. Will the Government commit to a nationwide 24/7 thrombectomy roll-out, with the required staff and infrastructure, and will it work with the Bundy family to deliver real change? Jenni Minto: I recognise the work that Stephen Kerr has been doing with the Bundy family, whom I had the privilege of meeting last year to listen to their experience. As a result of that, I have had numerous conversations with colleagues.”
“The Scottish Government is committed to the sustainable expansion of the thrombectomy service. Work is on-going to align the governance and delivery of thrombectomy with similar national programmes and to establish the most effective means of achieving that with national health service colleagues. Our focus remains on maximising access and ensuring that as many people as possible can benefit from thrombectomy. Procurement for a national artificial intelligence imaging tool is under way. Once that is implemented, it will support increased access to that important procedure. Stephen Kerr: I thank the minister for her response, but stroke care in Scotland is in crisis. The system failed Anthony Bundy.”
“It is there to create a fuller picture of what happened and what changes need to be made as a result. SAERs are learning and system learning exercises that are incredibly important. The revised framework that was introduced by HIS includes a template for boards to use when reviewing SAERs. It also includes a new learning summary template that will be published on a new online community of practice once completed.”
“We are talking about children who have died, about mothers who have been lost and about families who have been left with no answers, no justice and no access to reports that should have been shared with them as a matter of basic human decency. When a family that has lost a baby asks to see the review of what happened, is there any justification at all for refusing them that redacted information? Will the minister now say unequivocally that those reports must be published? Does she agree that there can be no place—none—for secrecy or defensiveness in our NHS, that families deserve the truth and that accountability is not an optional extra but the absolute minimum that we owe to those who have suffered the worst imaginable loss? Jenni Minto: The SAER is a review that is carried out by experts into what went wrong and why.”
“I understand from Healthcare Improvement Scotland that, in 2023, the Scottish Information Commissioner determined in response to a freedom of information request that individual SAERs were effectively part of the patient record and that NHS boards would be at risk of breaching patient confidentiality if they were to be published in full. However, as I highlighted in my first answer, the Scottish perinatal network has done a lot of work on the matter to ensure that patients, families and carers are at the centre of the review process and, importantly, to ensure the safety and psychological safety of staff. Stephen Kerr: I appreciate what the minister has said. However, we are not talking about the full reports; we are talking about the redacted reports.”