Sandesh Gulhane
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party · Scotland
“It has been a privilege to be here in the Scottish Parliament for the past five years. I came into politics to stand up for patients and our hard- working national health service staff, who do extraordinary work in the face of immense pressure, and I am proud to declare that I am a practising NHS general practitioner.”
“Neil Gray: I do not think that we can—and nor should we—seek to draw a correlation between NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde officials and the SNP. I do not know the politics of the leadership of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, and we should be careful to draw a distinction in that regard.”
“On Skye House, the Minister for Social Care and Mental Wellbeing gave a statement to Parliament just days ago setting out the Government’s actions and how we are seeking to respond, working with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, to ensure that improvements are made.”
“I say that as someone who shares some of those internal tensions—as a practising Hindu, I wrestle with the philosophical, ethical and spiritual aspects of my faith when I consider legislation such as this. These are not abstract ideas to me; they are part of my own moral framework. However, this Parliament is not a theocracy.”
“Jenni Minto: I am grateful to Dr Gulhane for his comments. The healthcare exception exists to ensure that the bill will not regulate procedures that are provided by regulated healthcare professionals for a healthcare purpose— specifically, for the purpose of preventing, diagnosing or treating illness.”
“I want to be clear that many practitioners who work in the sector take their responsibilities extremely seriously. They operate from clean, sterile environments, follow proper consent procedures and understand how to recognise complications. I have every sympathy with those practitioners.”
The complete record
Every one of 283 lines we hold for Sandesh Gulhane, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 1 of 6.
“To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any increase in case load for the adult disability payment, particularly in regard to mental and behavioural disorders. (S6O-05710)”
“On Skye House, the Minister for Social Care and Mental Wellbeing gave a statement to Parliament just days ago setting out the Government’s actions and how we are seeking to respond, working with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, to ensure that improvements are made.”
“Neil Gray: I do not think that we can—and nor should we—seek to draw a correlation between NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde officials and the SNP. I do not know the politics of the leadership of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, and we should be careful to draw a distinction in that regard. However, on both the issues that Dr Gulhane has raised, the Government has taken action to get answers for families. In the case of the public inquiry into the Queen Elizabeth university hospital, which is due to report, I wish Lord Brodie the space and time to be able to come forward with his independent conclusions.”
“It has been a privilege to be here in the Scottish Parliament for the past five years. I came into politics to stand up for patients and our hard- working national health service staff, who do extraordinary work in the face of immense pressure, and I am proud to declare that I am a practising NHS general practitioner. There have been multiple scandals at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board, from the Queen Elizabeth university hospital to atrocious abuse at Skye House, and we have witnessed consistent, systematic failures that have let down the most vulnerable patients. Why have managers been protected and not held to account? Is it to shield the SNP after 19 years of mismanagement and failure?”
“It offers compassion, safeguards and dignity for those who face the end of life. If the bill falls today, it will not simply be a procedural moment; it will be a lost opportunity to help those suffering and dying who have no voice. For those reasons, and with respect for colleagues who will reach a different conclusion, I believe that this is a good bill, a sound bill and a bill that deserves the support of this Parliament. 19:15”
“Those without such means often face prolonged suffering without the same choices, and that inequality should trouble us. This bill is also not and must never be seen as an alternative to high-quality palliative care. As a GP, I have seen the extraordinary compassion and skill of palliative care teams. They do remarkable work, and I will continue to advocate strongly for greater resources in this area. Palliative care must remain a cornerstone of how we care for people at the end of life, but choice matters. For some patients, despite excellent palliative care, suffering cannot always be relieved. For those individuals, the dignity of choice at the end of life is something that many Scots believe should be available. The bill represents years of work, consultation and scrutiny.”
“All of us—no exceptions. We control all aspects of our lives, but we have no control over how we die. People die alone, scared and in agonising pain. As a patient told me, “I wouldn’t let a dog die like this. Why am I having to suffer like this?” That patient can choose to starve herself or to stop drinking and to die horrifically, but she could not choose to die with dignity or painlessly. Let us here, today, give people a real choice over how they die. Having chaired the bill’s medical advisory group, I believe that we have before us a serious and sound piece of legislation. We must also be honest about the reality that already exists. Today, the option of a peaceful assisted death is effectively available only to those with the financial means to travel abroad.”
“I say that as someone who shares some of those internal tensions—as a practising Hindu, I wrestle with the philosophical, ethical and spiritual aspects of my faith when I consider legislation such as this. These are not abstract ideas to me; they are part of my own moral framework. However, this Parliament is not a theocracy. Our responsibility is to inquire, to investigate, to debate, and, sometimes, to struggle with difficult questions so that we make decisions that improve people’s lives. That is why I came into politics. We cannot be out of touch with the country that we all serve. Scotland today is largely secular. We live in a pluralistic society with many different moral perspectives, and 81 per cent of the public support assisted dying. We, in this chamber, and all those watching share two things: we are born and we will die.”
“I wish to make a declaration of interests: I am a practising NHS general practitioner, who is registered with the General Medical Council, and a member of the British Medical Association. In addition, I chaired the medical advisory group for the Assisted Dying for the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill. Also, I am a practising Hindu. This debate touches on some of the most profound questions that any of us will ever face— life, suffering, dignity and death. I want to express my sincere respect for those colleagues and members of the public whose religious, ethical or philosophical compasses make it deeply difficult to contemplate supporting the bill. Those views are sincerely held and deserve respect in the chamber.”
“Without that capacity, even if the legislation is drafted to the highest level, HIS will struggle to deliver what the patient requires and the protection that we intend. The bill is not about restricting innovation or closing down responsible businesses; it is about bringing order to what has often resembled the wild west. 16:11”
“The truth is that we are a decade behind where we should be in regulating the sector. The popularity of non-surgical cosmetic procedures has grown rapidly, but the regulatory framework has not kept pace. Therefore, the bill is a very important and necessary step. It recognises that, if a procedure pierces the skin, involves injectable substances or uses prescription-only medication, the standards governing that practice must reflect the clinical risk that is involved. However, what is aimed for through the legislation will be achieved only if it is properly implemented. If we are serious about regulation— and I am—Health Improvement Scotland must have the necessary resources to enforce it effectively.”
“It ensures that poor practice must not and cannot continue unchecked. Above all, this is about protecting patients. We also know that there are cases in which procedures go beyond cosmetic injections. There have been reports of practitioners removing moles or skin lesions without ensuring that samples of them have been properly examined. That raises serious concerns about misdiagnosis, including of skin cancer. Even as a GP who sees skin lesions all the time, I refer any lesion that I am unsure about to dermatology. When we remove lesions, we send them to histology to ensure that our assessment is correct and to ensure that a cancer has not been missed. There is no safety mechanism in the bill to address that risk. Again, this is not a minor issue; it is a matter of potentially life-saving clinical practice.”
“I want to be clear that many practitioners who work in the sector take their responsibilities extremely seriously. They operate from clean, sterile environments, follow proper consent procedures and understand how to recognise complications. I have every sympathy with those practitioners. In fact, many of them support stronger regulation, because they are frustrated at being undercut by individuals who complete a very short training course and immediately begin carrying out invasive procedures. Proper regulation should be seen not as an attack on the sector but, rather, as protecting the reputation of responsible businesses and creating a level playing field. Yes, regulation might bring additional costs, but the reality is that good practitioners are already meeting those high standards and regulation is aimed at raising the floor.”
“The key words there are “correctly” and “safely”—that means trained practitioners, appropriate clinical environments and proper safeguards. However, at present, some procedures are carried out in in settings that could never be described as, or considered, acceptable in any other part of healthcare. We hear about fizz and filler parties, at which you can get your Botox and your fillers while drinking champagne; treatments delivered from spare rooms in houses; and procedures performed in hotel rooms or pop-up settings with little clinical oversight. No one in this chamber thinks that it would be acceptable to receive antibiotics or other medicines from someone who was not properly regulated and insured and working in a safe clinical environment, so why do we accept that injectable cosmetic treatments are treated so differently?”
“The procedures that we are discussing are often presented as simple, routine beauty treatments, but, in reality, they involve needles, injections, prescription-only medications such as botulinum toxin and substances being injected under the skin. When something goes wrong, the consequences are not trivial; they include permanent scarring, tissue damage, severe infection, psychological trauma and emergency hospital treatment—and when complications occur, it is the national health service, which is under immense pressure, that ends up treating the patient. It is worth remembering that botulinum toxin is derived from one of the most powerful biological toxins known to science. Used correctly, in the right hands and the right clinical setting, it can be administered safely.”
“As far as the part of the bill on certification of death is concerned, we agree with it. I begin with a declaration of my interest as a registered general practitioner. I am registered with the General Medical Council. At its core, the legislation is about one fundamental principle: patient safety. At the moment, in parts of the non-surgical cosmetics sector, that safety is far too inconsistent. To put it bluntly, in some areas, the situation resembles the wild west. Yes, there are genuinely good businesses, but there are also shocking ones that perform botched surgeries. That would be unacceptable in absolutely any other area of healthcare, yet, for far too long, that is, in effect, what we have allowed to develop.”
“The Deputy Presiding Officer: There will be a division. As this is the first division at stage 3, I will suspend the meeting for around five minutes to allow members to access the digital voting system. 14:28 Meeting suspended. 14:34 On resuming— The Deputy Presiding Officer : The question is, that amendment 10 be agreed to. Members should cast their votes now. The vote is closed.”
“Jenni Minto: I am grateful to Dr Gulhane for his comments. The healthcare exception exists to ensure that the bill will not regulate procedures that are provided by regulated healthcare professionals for a healthcare purpose— specifically, for the purpose of preventing, diagnosing or treating illness. The General Osteopathic Council has confirmed that, although osteopaths are unable to prescribe, some undertake postgraduate injection training and then work with a prescriber, for example, to administer corticosteroid injections to patients. I urge members to support amendments 1, 2, 8 and 9 and not to support amendment 10. Amendment 1 agreed to. Amendment 2 moved—[Jenni Minto]—and agreed to. Amendment 10 moved—[Sandesh Gulhane]. The Deputy Presiding Officer: The question is, that amendment 10 be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No.”
“I declare an interest as a practising national health service general practitioner. My amendment 10 seeks to change the definition of “regulated healthcare professional” in the bill so that it does not include osteopaths who are regulated by the General Osteopathic Council. Osteopathy is a pseudo-science. There is very limited evidence of any effectiveness whatsoever, and those who practise it should not be considered regulated healthcare professionals. Osteopaths are unable to prescribe medicines for a reason, and they do not inject Botox. That alone means that they are not entitled to be covered by the healthcare exemption. My amendment would strengthen the definition of “regulated healthcare professional” in the bill and ensure that only those who are properly qualified will be referred to as such.”
“To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs has had with the Scottish Prison Service regarding arrangements for prisoners eligible to vote in the forthcoming Scottish Parliament election. (S6O- 05623)”
“I declare an interest as a practising NHS GP. How can Royal Mail possibly find patients at the Queen Elizabeth hospital when rooms have been sealed off due to mould and dirty water ingress? Surely, it is time for the board to admit by mail to patients that things may not be safe at the Queen Elizabeth hospital. The Deputy Presiding Officer: That supplementary goes a bit wide of the question, which was about forms of communication and not the destinations of the letters or where patients are expected to be. I call a supplementary from”
“They are popular with the public because they come alongside the record investment that we are putting into core general practice over the next three years, which I noticed that Mr Gulhane and his colleagues voted against in the budget this week. It is a matter for shame that they not only refused to support but actively voted against our record investment in core general practice services. We are broadening the front door of our NHS through that record investment. We are making our NHS more flexible through walk-in GP services, and we will continue in that vein to ensure that our NHS is fit for the future. Orthopaedic Services Waiting Times (NHS Lanarkshire) 7.”
“I declare an interest as a practising national health service GP. The First Minister’s announcement of GP walk- in centres at the Scottish National Party conference was simply an election stunt. He announced them without consulting stakeholders; indeed, he probably shocked his own civil servants. His spin doctors clearly loved the title, and now the SNP is scrabbling around to backfill the details. Even the health secretary was unable to answer my previous questions with any detail at all, because there was none. Will patients exclusively see GPs when they attend a GP walk-in centre? If not, in what percentage of appointments will they see a GP, or has that not been discussed with the SNP campaign team yet? Neil Gray: The walk-in services will provide appointments with GPs and other practice staff.”
“Motion agreed to, That the Parliament agrees that the Children (Withdrawal from Religious Education and Amendment of UNCRC Compatibility Duty) (Scotland) Bill be passed. The Presiding Officer: The Children (Withdrawal from Religious Education and Amendment of UNCRC Compatibility Duty) (Scotland) Bill is passed. That concludes decision time. Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2026”
“For Adam, George (Paisley) (SNP) Adam, Karen (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) Adamson, Clare (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP) Allan, Alasdair (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP) Arthur, Tom (Renfrewshire South) (SNP) Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP) Brown, Keith (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP) Callaghan, Stephanie (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) Coffey, Willie (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh Western) (LD) Constance, Angela (Almond Valley) (SNP) Dey, Graeme (Angus South) (SNP) Don-Innes, Natalie (Renfrewshire North and West) (SNP) Doris, Bob (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP) Dornan, James (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Ewing, Annabelle (Cowdenbeath) (SNP) Fairlie, Jim (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP) FitzPatrick, Joe (Dundee City West) (SNP) Forbes, Kate (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (SNP) Gibson, Kenneth (Cunninghame North) (SNP) Gilruth, Jenny (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (SNP) Gougeon, Mairi (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP) Grahame, Christine (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP) Gray, Neil (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP) Greene, Jamie (West Scotland) (LD) Harper, Emma (South Scotland) (SNP) Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen) (SNP) Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP) Hyslop, Fiona (Linlithgow) (SNP) Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) Lochhead, Richard (Moray) (SNP) MacDonald, Gordon (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP) MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) Mackay, Rona (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP) Maguire, Ruth (Cunninghame South) (SNP) Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind) Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP) McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP) McArthur, Liam (Orkney Islands) (LD) McKee, Ivan (Glasgow Provan) (SNP) McLennan, Paul (East Lothian) (SNP) McMillan, Stuart (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP) McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) Nicoll, Audrey (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP) Rennie, Willie (North East Fife) (LD) Robertson, Angus (Edinburgh Central) (SNP) Robison, Shona (Dundee City East) (SNP) Roddick, Emma (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP) Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP) Stewart, Kaukab (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) Stewart, Kevin (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow Southside) (SNP) Swinney, John (Perthshire North) (SNP) Thomson, Michelle (Falkirk East) (SNP) Todd, Maree (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP) Torrance, David (Kirkcaldy) (SNP) Tweed, Evelyn (Stirling) (SNP) Whitham, Elena (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) Wishart, Beatrice (Shetland Islands) (LD) Yousaf, Humza (Glasgow Pollok) (SNP) Against Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Balfour, Jeremy (Lothian) (Ind) Bibby, Neil (West Scotland) (Lab) Boyack, Sarah (Lothian) (Lab) Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con) Burnett, Alexander (Aberdeenshire West) (Con) Carlaw, Jackson (Eastwood) (Con) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Choudhury, Foysol (Lothian) (Ind) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con) Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Glasgow) (Ind) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Ewing, Fergus (Inverness and Nairn) (Ind) Findlay, Russell (West Scotland) (Con) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Gallacher, Meghan (Central Scotland) (Con) Golden, Maurice (North East Scotland) (Con) Gosal, Pam (West Scotland) (Con) Grant, Rhoda (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) Griffin, Mark (Central Scotland) (Lab) Gulhane, Sandesh (Glasgow) (Con) Halcro Johnston, Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Hoy, Craig (South Scotland) (Con) Johnson, Daniel (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con) Kerr, Stephen (Central Scotland) (Con) Lennon, Monica (Central Scotland) (Lab) Leonard, Richard (Central Scotland) (Lab) Marra, Michael (North East Scotland) (Lab) McCall, Roz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) McNeill, Pauline (Glasgow) (Lab) Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab) Mundell, Oliver (Dumfriesshire) (Con) O’Kane, Paul (West Scotland) (Lab) Regan, Ash (Edinburgh Eastern) (Ind) Ross, Douglas (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Rowley, Alex (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Russell, Davy (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (Lab) Sarwar, Anas (Glasgow) (Lab) Simpson, Graham (Central Scotland) (Reform) Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Stewart, Alexander (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Villalba, Mercedes (North East Scotland) (Lab) Webber, Sue (Lothian) (Con) Wells, Annie (Glasgow) (Con) White, Tess (North East Scotland) (Con) Whitfield, Martin (South Scotland) (Lab) Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con) Abstentions Burgess, Ariane (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green) Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green) Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green) Mackay, Gillian (Central Scotland) (Green) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green) The Presiding Officer: The result of the division on motion S6M-20813, in the name of Jenny Gilruth, on the Children (Withdrawal from Religious Education and Amendment of UNCRC Compatibility Duty) (Scotland) Bill at stage 3, is: For 66, Against 51, Abstentions 7.”
“Motion, as amended, agreed to, That the Parliament agrees to the general principles of the Freedom of Information Reform (Scotland) Bill, but, in so doing, highlights the time pressure in the current parliamentary session and the views in the stage 1 report, including that Freedom of Information reform should be addressed in the next parliamentary session. The Presiding Officer: The final question is, that motion S6M-20813, in the name of Jenny Gilruth, on the Children (Withdrawal from Religious Education and Amendment of UNCRC Compatibility Duty) (Scotland) Bill at stage 3, be agreed to. As this is a motion to pass the bill, the question must be decided by division.”
“On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I was unable to vote, but I would have voted yes. The Presiding Officer: Thank you, Dr Gulhane. We will ensure that that is recorded. For Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab) Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Balfour, Jeremy (Lothian) (Ind) Bibby, Neil (West Scotland) (Lab) Boyack, Sarah (Lothian) (Lab) Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con) Burgess, Ariane (Highlands and Islands) (Green) Burnett, Alexander (Aberdeenshire West) (Con) Carlaw, Jackson (Eastwood) (Con) Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con) Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green) Choudhury, Foysol (Lothian) (Ind) Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab) Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh Western) (LD) Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con) Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Glasgow) (Ind) Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Ewing, Fergus (Inverness and Nairn) (Ind) Findlay, Russell (West Scotland) (Con) Fraser, Murdo (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Gallacher, Meghan (Central Scotland) (Con) Golden, Maurice (North East Scotland) (Con) Gosal, Pam (West Scotland) (Con) Grant, Rhoda (Highlands and Islands) (Lab) Greene, Jamie (West Scotland) (LD) Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green) Griffin, Mark (Central Scotland) (Lab) Gulhane, Sandesh (Glasgow) (Con) Halcro Johnston, Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green) Hoy, Craig (South Scotland) (Con) Johnson, Daniel (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab) Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con) Kerr, Stephen (Central Scotland) (Con) Lennon, Monica (Central Scotland) (Lab) Leonard, Richard (Central Scotland) (Lab) Mackay, Gillian (Central Scotland) (Green) Marra, Michael (North East Scotland) (Lab) Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (Ind) McArthur, Liam (Orkney Islands) (LD) McCall, Roz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) McNeill, Pauline (Glasgow) (Lab) Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab) Mundell, Oliver (Dumfriesshire) (Con) O’Kane, Paul (West Scotland) (Lab) Regan, Ash (Edinburgh Eastern) (Ind) Rennie, Willie (North East Fife) (LD) Ross, Douglas (Highlands and Islands) (Con) Rowley, Alex (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab) Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green) Russell, Davy (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (Lab) Sarwar, Anas (Glasgow) (Lab) Simpson, Graham (Central Scotland) (Reform) Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green) Stewart, Alexander (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con) Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab) Villalba, Mercedes (North East Scotland) (Lab) Webber, Sue (Lothian) (Con) Wells, Annie (Glasgow) (Con) White, Tess (North East Scotland) (Con) Whitfield, Martin (South Scotland) (Lab) Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con) Wishart, Beatrice (Shetland Islands) (LD) Against Adam, George (Paisley) (SNP) Adam, Karen (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP) Adamson, Clare (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP) Allan, Alasdair (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP) Arthur, Tom (Renfrewshire South) (SNP) Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP) Brown, Keith (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP) Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP) Callaghan, Stephanie (Uddingston and Bellshill) (SNP) Coffey, Willie (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP) Constance, Angela (Almond Valley) (SNP) Dey, Graeme (Angus South) (SNP) Don-Innes, Natalie (Renfrewshire North and West) (SNP) Doris, Bob (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP) Dornan, James (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP) Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP) Ewing, Annabelle (Cowdenbeath) (SNP) Fairlie, Jim (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP) FitzPatrick, Joe (Dundee City West) (SNP) Forbes, Kate (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (SNP) Gibson, Kenneth (Cunninghame North) (SNP) Gilruth, Jenny (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (SNP) Gougeon, Mairi (Angus North and Mearns) (SNP) Gray, Neil (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP) Harper, Emma (South Scotland) (SNP) Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen) (SNP) Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP) Hyslop, Fiona (Linlithgow) (SNP) Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) Lochhead, Richard (Moray) (SNP) MacDonald, Gordon (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP) MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP) Mackay, Rona (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP) Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP) Maguire, Ruth (Cunninghame South) (SNP) Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP) Matheson, Michael (Falkirk West) (SNP) McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP) McKee, Ivan (Glasgow Provan) (SNP) McLennan, Paul (East Lothian) (SNP) McMillan, Stuart (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP) McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP) Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP) Nicoll, Audrey (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP) Robertson, Angus (Edinburgh Central) (SNP) Robison, Shona (Dundee City East) (SNP) Roddick, Emma (Highlands and Islands) (SNP) Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP) Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP) Stewart, Kaukab (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP) Stewart, Kevin (Aberdeen Central) (SNP) Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow Southside) (SNP) Swinney, John (Perthshire North) (SNP) Thomson, Michelle (Falkirk East) (SNP) Todd, Maree (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP) Torrance, David (Kirkcaldy) (SNP) Tweed, Evelyn (Stirling) (SNP) Whitham, Elena (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP) Yousaf, Humza (Glasgow Pollok) (SNP) The Presiding Officer: The result of the division on motion S6M-20815, in the name of Katy Clark, on the Freedom of Information Reform (Scotland) Bill at stage 1, as amended, is: For 63, Against 59, Abstentions 0.”
“I move amendment S6M-20731.2, to leave out from “welcomes” to “Group” and insert: “expresses concern that the Safety and Public Confidence Oversight Group will be run by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, in light of the lack of confidence that victims have in the NHS board; calls on the Chief Executive of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to therefore stand down as co-chair of the group; urges the Scottish Government to work with the Patient Safety Commissioner to immediately strengthen protections for NHS whistleblowers; condemns the Scottish Government for its failure to tackle a culture of secrecy and denial across the NHS; admonishes the former health secretary, Shona Robison, for breaking her pledge to carry out an independent safety audit prior to the opening of the hospital; requests that Fiona McQueen appear before the Scottish Parliament to account for her reported actions in dismissing the complaints of victims”.”
“The cabinet secretary should go to the Queen Elizabeth university hospital and drink a litre of the tap water on camera. If it is safe enough for patients, it should be safe enough for ministers. We condemn Shona Robison, the former health secretary, for breaking her pledge to the Parliament to carry out an independent safety audit before the hospital opened. That broken promise might have cost lives. The scandal has devastated families and damaged public trust in the NHS. Let this be the turning point—put patients over PR, put truth over spin and put accountability over political preservation.”
“We cannot accept that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is running and co-chairing the oversight body. It is the same health board that presided over the failings and caused the scandal. Millie Main’s mum said that she was “let down and lied to” by health officials. Victims have no confidence in its leadership. You could not make it up: it is like asking a fox to guard the hen house. The public deserve real oversight, not more of the same. Let me say this clearly: whistleblowers have shown extraordinary courage, but they have lived in fear for their livelihoods. I have spoken to them, and they deserve our thanks and protection, not punishment. Whistleblowers tell me today that cancer patients are being told not to drink the tap water or even brush their teeth with it.”
“Mrs McQueen is still on the public payroll, earning more than £90,000 per year as chair of the Scottish Police Authority, an organisation that “aims to increase public trust … in policing through accountable, proportionate and transparent oversight and scrutiny.” The irony. I ask the question again: why are Scottish taxpayers still funding someone who allegedly showed such appalling judgment? Accountability must begin today. I have written to the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs and to the Criminal Justice Committee, because it is of paramount importance that Fiona McQueen appears in front of the committee to explain her heartless and shameless alleged bribe to grieving families. However, the issue goes far beyond one individual.”
“The hospital was rushed open in 2015 before it was ready, not because it was safe but because it suited the SNP’s public relations agenda. It was politics over patients. When the truth began to emerge, the response was not honesty; it was bureaucracy, legal threats and institutional spin. There was a disgraceful campaign of silence from a health board and a Government that were more interested in optics than accountability. What did Nicola Sturgeon’s chief nursing officer, Fiona McQueen, reportedly suggest? She reportedly suggested that the families be offered £50,000, “which is a trip to Disneyland”. Sophia Smith’s brave mother said: “I told her we didn’t want your holidays and your money. We want” justice.”
“I apologise to members for needing to leave promptly when the debate is due to finish at 4. I also associate myself with the remarks about Jeane Freeman that were made by Anas Sarwar and Neil Gray. The Scottish Conservatives support much that is in the motion and seek to strengthen it with our amendment. The motion rightly recognises the exceptional NHS staff at the Queen Elizabeth university hospital, who deliver outstanding care in the most difficult of circumstances. Those who held office during the scandalous years must be held to account. This is a debate about trust, and trust has been shattered by more than a decade of SNP mismanagement, evasion and political spin. Children died, families were lied to and gaslit, and whistleblowers were threatened and silenced.”
“The Deputy Presiding Officer: I call Neil Gray to speak to and move amendment S6M-20731.1. 15:00”
“I move, That the Parliament is concerned that the Scottish Government is unable to state clearly that the ventilation and water systems at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital have been validated as meeting required safety requirements; recognises that thousands of patients are treated safely and expertly cared for by NHS staff in the hospital every year; welcomes the establishment of a Safety and Public Confidence Oversight Group, and calls on the Scottish Government to set out by what date it intends to carry out the risk assessment of the hospital’s ventilation system, as recommended by the inquiry, what mitigations are currently in place to ensure that the water is safe to use, how it intends to protect at-risk patients in areas that have not been validated, and when this validation will be carried out and the documentation shared with whistleblowers and infection control.”
“The situation is so serious that deaths that are linked to avoidable infections at the hospital are being investigated by the Crown Office, yet no minister and no official has ever taken responsibility or accountability. It is quite the opposite—people have been rewarded. That cannot happen again. It is time to put patients before politics and to ensure that those who are in need in our hospitals are kept safe. Let me end by repeating my commitment to the families and staff. I will not be silenced; I will not rest; I will not stop until they get the truth and the justice that they deserve.”
“I make it clear that amazing things happen as a result of amazing staff in the hospital every single day. I also accept that there is always a risk of adverse incidents in the NHS—that is the nature of healthcare. However, we have to stop the deliberate misjudgments and a rotten culture of secrecy and cover-up that adds risk to patient safety, and adds higher risk to immunocompromised patients. The Government needs to put patient safety, truth and transparency at the forefront, and it must stop hiding behind a public inquiry when it comes to operational decisions and patient safety today. The QEUH was Scotland’s super-hospital: a crown jewel in the SNP Government’s record. That record is now stained with scandal, shame and flat-out corruption. People have died, families have been betrayed and staff have been bullied.”
“Anything less than a full commitment on those questions is not good enough, and any equivocation will only demonstrate that the Government has not learned the lessons of the past and is just repeating the same mistakes. However, I will go further and make a firm commitment today. If the Government does not take the appropriate action, I will. I am very clear that I will ensure that we have an open process and that we will verify and validate the hospital. I will have a transparent and public process. If that means that remedial work has to be done, I will pull out all the stops to make sure that that work happens so that patients can be safe and have confidence. I will not compromise patient safety, so if I have to temporarily close individual wards or units, I will, because I put patient safety before politics, always.”
“The Deputy Presiding Officer: I can give you the time back, Mr Sarwar. Anas Sarwar: It is really important that members of the board that had responsibility for appointments are told why information was withheld from that board by board executives and board managers and by Government—they need to answer those questions. Finally, on the questions that need to be answered, will the Government guarantee that there will be genuine independent oversight of the validation and verification process? In order to rebuild public confidence and ensure public safety, the Government must publish all the documentation: everything that it has right now and everything that follows.”
“I declare an interest as a practising national health service general practitioner. This is a very serious matter. Children have died, and it is vital that we hear from everyone in exactly the way that Anas Sarwar has just set out. However, several Scottish Labour councillors and SNP councillors were on the board during this period. One is Patricia Ferguson, who is now chair of the House of Commons Scottish Affairs Committee, and another is Martin McCluskey, who is a United Kingdom Government minister. Scottish Conservatives called for Nicola Sturgeon to give a personal statement to MSPs, which the member and his party supported. For the same reasons, would Anas Sarwar back my calls for Patricia Ferguson and Martin McCluskey to make a personal statement in the House of Commons?”
“Has the cabinet secretary spoken to her about the issue, and does he agree that the chair of the SPA should appear in front of the Criminal Justice Committee? Neil Gray: It is up to members of the Criminal Justice Committee to determine who appears before it. Lord Brodie and the public inquiry are actively considering the questions that Jackie Baillie and Sandesh Gulhane have asked. It is right that we allow them the space to come to their determinations, including on the questions that have arisen from the evidence to the public inquiry, so that the families who are at the heart of the matter, including the Smith family, get the answers that they deserve. That is why we constituted the public inquiry in the first place.”
“I declare an interest as a practising NHS general practitioner. A grieving family has alleged that the former chief nursing officer and current chair of the Scottish Police Authority offered them £20,000 and a holiday following the death of their baby. She even went as far as to suggest that that was the maximum they might expect if they pursued compensation through the courts. She must answer questions on these alleged repulsive and crass comments. If she was this heartless over the death of a baby, how can we trust her to be chair of the SPA or to hold any senior role in public life? I have written to the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs and the Criminal Justice Committee on the matter.”
“By establishing clearer standards, stronger oversight and appropriate safeguards, we can protect patients, support practitioners and ensure that when people choose to undergo such procedures, they can do so with confidence and in the full knowledge that safety comes first. It is for those reasons that I am pleased to support the general principles of the bill. 16:03”
“When unregulated or poorly regulated procedures lead to complications, the cost—both financial and clinical—does not disappear; it is simply transferred to the NHS, corrective medical services and, most important, to the patients who have to live with the consequences. Not only is preventing harm in the first place safer, but it is the far more efficient and responsible thing to do. The bill should not be about restricting a sector—it should be about modernising oversight so that regulation matches the reality of current practice. The number of non-surgical cosmetic procedures has expanded rapidly during recent years, and we have simply not kept up.”
“That is an important consideration, and consultation with the sector must continue to ensure that regulation is proportionate and workable. However, patient safety cannot depend on the size of the business or the setting in which treatment takes place. Procedures performed in a small or home-based practice must meet the same hygiene, safety and professional standards that larger facilities such as hospitals have to meet. Responsible businesses understand that, and many welcome the regulation, because it protects their reputation and their clients. It is clear that some people are buying injectables from less than reputable places, which is resulting in questions about the quality and safety of those medications.”
“In several of those situations, complaints were reported, but little or not effective action followed, leaving patients uncertain where to turn and responsible practitioners frustrated by the absence of consistent enforcement. We would never allow someone in a hospital to carry out minor surgical procedures in an environment that lacked proper infection control, medicine storage, documentation or emergency preparedness, but at present those same minor surgical procedures are occurring in settings that would not meet basic clinical standards. This bill is about drawing a line. There should be proper training, proper consent, safe storage of medicines, clinical hygiene and clear mechanisms for accountability when things go wrong. Some concerns have been raised about the potential impact on small businesses.”
“There are also examples of proper consent procedures clearly not being followed. One patient who was uncertain about proceeding with a treatment of Botox was encouraged just to undergo the injections immediately, so that she had no time to think about it, before being given an additional procedure that should never have followed the injection. The result was significant facial complications only weeks before her wedding. Such situations are not hypothetical risks; they are real, and they are being experienced by real people in Scotland today. We have also seen cases in which complications such as vascular occlusion following lip filler treatments have left patients with lasting disfigurement.”
“Those professionals deserve recognition, and many of them actively support and want stronger regulation, because they want a level playing field. They do not want to be undercut by individuals who complete a brief training programme and immediately begin carrying out invasive procedures without the same standards or safeguards. In one case that I heard about, a practitioner failed to recognise that a patient was experiencing a severe allergic reaction following dissolution treatment, which required urgent intervention and emergency hospital treatment. In another instance, a client received the wrong injectable product under the eyes, which caused severe swelling and required medical referral, yet they struggled to obtain follow-up care or even basic accountability from the practitioner involved.”
“I declare an interest as a practising national health service general practitioner. At the heart of the bill is one simple issue: patient safety. At present, that safety is far too inconsistent, and in some parts of the non-surgical cosmetic sector, it is worryingly fragile. Let us be clear about the procedures that we are discussing: they are not ordinary beauty treatments. They involve needles, injections, prescription-only medicines such as botulinum toxin, and substances being placed under the skin. When things go wrong, the consequences can be not minor inconveniences but permanent scarring, tissue damage, psychological trauma or even emergency hospital treatment. Many practitioners operate responsibly. They maintain clean premises, follow proper consent procedures and know how to recognise and, most important, manage complications.”
“If all who are involved across NHS Scotland commit to working together towards the report’s recommendations, we can ensure that patients and families in the greater Glasgow region—and, indeed, across the country—receive not only cutting-edge treatment but the psychological support that allows recovery to be truly meaningful. 18:46”