Christine Grahame
Scottish National Party · Scotland
“To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the United Kingdom Government regarding whether any of the support announced in response to the increased cost of heating oil will help the agriculture sector and other rural industries in Scotland that are dependent on that fuel. (S6O- 05695)”
“At a recent First Minister’s question time, I raised the matter of the successful prosecution against the Hamiltons, who are part of the cruel puppy- farm trade. That case was concluded after a five- year investigation by the SSPCA that started when 33 puppies were found in dreadful conditions.”
“Of course, some can go online or use an app, but there will be many who cannot, and for them, it is essential that they speak to a real person at the bank, not a chatbot. Therefore, I would impress upon the Bank of Scotland the need for it to take up my suggestion of reintroducing mobile services, which I understand it abandoned in 2024.”
“My first prize at school was for an essay on animal welfare, but being a vet was out of reach for a girl from a council house scheme. However, I got to the right place at last, chairing the cross- party group on animal welfare for more than a decade, with two acts of Parliament—the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 and the Welfare of Do…”
“I made my first speech in June 1999, and one Mary Scanlon, a Conservative, broke my peroration—I thought that I was doing rather well—with a point of order that challenged the relevance of my contribution to the motion. I was devastated, but I ploughed on.”
“The Scottish Sentencing Council is developing guidelines for environmental and wildlife crime, but companion and farm animal welfare cases, which make up the vast majority of investigations, are not included.”
The complete record
Every one of 727 lines we hold for Christine Grahame, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 14 of 15.
“In fact, they were sold several pups, including the side of a bus showing the “Boris bonus” of £350 million a week for the NHS; cutting of immigration, although the majority of migrants were and are legal migrants; cutting of red tape for businesses and farmers; no border down the Irish Sea; reclaiming our seas; and the world waiting eagerly for our trade. It was all “oven ready”. How did that go? The £350 million was not so much “oven ready” as it was a Boris porky pie. Immigration, both legal and illegal, has increased since Brexit. Indeed, leaving the EU has made co- operation with EU countries more difficult. As for increases in red tape, just ask businesses, farmers and the horticultural sector. There are special rules for trade between Éire, which is still in the EU, and Northern Ireland, which remains in the EU in all but name.”
“I congratulate my colleague Clare Adamson on securing the debate. From Shetland to the Scottish Borders, not one part of Scotland voted leave—not one single council area. However, that is the union for you, and that is democracy for you: it is part of the “union bonus.” Even in England, 53 per cent of voters voted leave and 47 per cent voted remain, so even south of the border the vote was nip and tuck. There was no 60 per cent requirement, as is sometimes called for when there is a vote that affects the unwritten British constitution. Remember that, when it comes to a referendum on Scottish independence. We now know that the British public was sold a pup.”
“Alex Cole-Hamilton: Will the member take an intervention? Murdo Fraser: Do I have time, Presiding Officer?”
“As Sandesh Gulhane said, it is many years since we had the promise from the SNP to recruit more front-line GPs. In fact, we have fewer GPs today than we had when that promise was made. I turn briefly to Scottish education. Our educational outcomes have gone backwards in international rankings after 18 years of the SNP being in power. We know that outcomes in England are considerably better than they are in Scotland, despite England spending substantially less per pupil than is spent here. I could say much more about the failure to deliver affordable housing and meet housing targets. We now know that the budget will go through. The Liberal Democrats have sold their souls. Alex Cole-Hamilton is reneging on his promise not to vote for a budget that contains spending on the constitution or independence.”
“I very much share the member’s annoyance that people cannot get through to a GP and can contact them only by phone, but does he accept that it is the private practice that is causing that and not the NHS at large? Murdo Fraser: It is such a widespread practice that I do not think that we can blame it on individual GPs. The problem is that, because people cannot see their GPs in time, they end up developing more serious long-term conditions, which puts a greater burden on the NHS. I looked carefully at what the First Minister said yesterday about access to GPs, but all that was offered was warm words about the need to increase capacity in general practice and to develop a new quality framework to make GPs more consistent across Scotland. There was no detail on how that will be improved.”
“I give her an undertaking that I will raise the issue with trading standards so that we can discuss it with our local partners and perhaps connect it with some of the resilience recovery work to ensure that vulnerable people are given relevant advice about opportunistic criminals who might be circulating in communities.”
“I, too, offer my condolences and thank all the emergency services. Storm damage has left many people in need of urgent repairs, in many cases to roofing. I have no doubt that most roofers are decent, but there are unscrupulous opportunists who will prey on the elderly, especially those living alone, which is something that I experienced this weekend as an elderly person who lives alone. Thankfully, I saw through someone whom I consider to have been, at best, not trustworthy. Will the cabinet secretary take the opportunity to alert all who might be vulnerable and desperate for repairs but who do not already know a tradesman, and to advise them to be wary and, if possible, check with friends and neighbours before they part with any cash? Angela Constance: Christine Grahame makes a good point and gives valuable advice.”
“Both my certificate and the French certificate require the provider to sign the certificate, which gives the supplier the responsibility of ensuring that the acquirer has gone through all the necessary steps in the checklist of questions that are contained in the certificate. I applaud Mike Flynn, the newly and recently retired senior inspector of the SSPCA, because the idea for the certificate was his. I call it the terms and conditions. I look forward to the rest of the debate. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Thank you, Ms Grahame. I call the minister, Jim Fairlie. You have up to four minutes.”
“It is not punitive; it is meant to be educational and to change behaviours. The code should also be short and easily understood. It will ensure that anyone who is buying a dog will reflect on questions such as “Do you have the right home environment?” and “Is it the right type of dog for you?” as part of the certification. Following that, the person who is handing over the puppy or dog and the person who is receiving it will be required to acknowledge that they have considered the issues raised in the code, with a certificate being issued that is to be kept throughout the dog’s lifetime. That certificate is based on a process that is followed in France, where, since 2022, a certificate has been required when someone buys a dog or any of a number of other animals.”
“A report by the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals found that only 43 per cent of dog owners know that a puppy should be seen with its mother. The SSPCA highlighted that 65 per cent of owners found their pets online, and there is £2.5 million of associated fraud. That is serious crime and big business in the criminal fraternity. According to Government-commissioned research, 20 per cent of puppies bought online fall ill or die within a year. The Dogs Trust’s submission to my bill talks about “educating and providing prospective dog owners with the tools to purchase or rehome a dog more responsibly, and to identify and avoid unscrupulous breeding practices.” I agree with that. That is the crux of what the bill seeks to achieve—to change the behaviours of the public and to prevent many of the problems that I have highlighted.”
“The Dogs Trust has highlighted the huge rise in problems that have arisen from people buying dogs that they cannot properly look after. Abandonment rates are rising. This week, the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home had too many dogs. One of them, Susan, a black lab-staffie cross, was abandoned on the streets at four years of age. She is boisterous but loving and friendly and she needs a home. I hope that this helps her and the others to find one. If anyone is thinking about getting a puppy or dog, why not try a rescue centre first? Calls to the SSPCA helpline about giving up pets have quadrupled. Costs, vet care and inappropriate living conditions are cited as common reasons. A recent survey found that only 29 per cent of people considered cost when they got their pet. Awareness of the signs of unscrupulous breeding is low.”
“My bill will require the Scottish Government to produce a code of practice that is to be used before someone acquires a puppy or dog—I stress “before”—and to educate prospective dog owners to make them pause—I do not mean to pun there—and reflect before taking on a puppy or dog. I would hope that that would reduce online acquisition. After all, we are talking about a sentient individual, not a fancy watch or a handbag. The animal welfare issues, emotional distress, massive vet fees and high mortality rates that come about as a result of illegal puppy farming and the buying of dogs that people cannot care for have been well established. The Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has estimated that the illegal puppy trade is worth £13 million a year in Scotland.”
“Seven years ago, I saw the growth in the supply of puppies and dogs for purchase online on Gumtree and from puppy factory farms, and I thought about what could be done to reduce that. I decided that, if supply was the issue, the current legislation and policing were not having sufficient impact and that I should perhaps tackle demand, which I hoped would have an effect on supply. We all know that there has been a surge in the level of dog ownership across Scotland and that it was exacerbated by Covid. Combined with the lack of an informed approach among the public to buying a dog—which I understand—that has also led to a rise in unscrupulous breeding and to casual and impulsive though well-meaning purchases. It is therefore more urgent to ensure that those who are thinking of getting a puppy or dog do so in an informed way.”
“This is my last session in a Parliament of which I have been a member for almost 27 years. Ross Greer: Will the member give way? Christine Grahame: Of course. The member has let me in so often that I have to. Ross Greer: I absolutely agree with the course of action that Christine Grahame suggests. I stress that I absolutely respect the huge amount of effort that she has put in over many years of leading debates on these issues, and I would never suggest otherwise. Christine Grahame: At the risk of turning this into a love-in, I say yes to that. I hope that the member and everyone else in the chamber considers what I said, because the Parliament should have a say in things, not just the Government. Let us turn to the purpose of the bill.”
“At first, I was a wee bit discombobulated that a debate that should have focused on the acquisition of a puppy or a dog turned into a debate on shock collars. I request here and now that there be draft regulations proposing a ban, as was recommended by the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission almost two years ago. I request that those regulations be laid before a committee and be considered during the current parliamentary session. I suggest that members across the parties who agree with me that there should simply be a proper, thorough debate on actual regulations—whether or not they agree with a ban—get together and formally request that. I hope that that assuages the concerns of Ross Greer and anybody else who thinks that I am letting the matter go.”
“To ask the First Minister, in light of the inauguration of Donald Trump as US President, and the reported prospect of import tariffs, what sectors of Scottish business it anticipates may be most affected. (S6F-03735)”
“Michael Marra is right that there has been a responsibility on successive Governments in both Scotland and Westminster to provide “clarity” on the kinds of plans and programmes that had to be put in place. That argument needed to be won with the public, but I do not think that such clarity has been provided. Unfortunately, that has allowed a populist space to develop. The kind of anti-renewables rhetoric that I heard from a wide range of Conservative colleagues this afternoon echoes the language that Donald Trump used when he came to the Parliament to give evidence against renewable energy all those years ago.”
“To suggest that something is somehow being done to Scotland is disingenuous. I know of nobody in the sector who is pleading for the breaking up of the UK energy market in order to address the issues that we face, although there certainly needs to be better consultation north and south of the border. The First Minister never tires of telling us how that has improved over the past six months, but it may need to improve still further. We cannot lose sight of the reason why we are where we are. Investment in transmission and storage has run chronically behind where it has been on generation. If we are to achieve our net zero ambitions and the just transition, that investment needs to happen. 16:50 Mark Ruskell: I agree with Liam McArthur that there cannot be a just transition without transmission infrastructure.”
“Sarah Boyack pointed to some of the housing developments that we need to see as part of that. There is a degree of self- interest in those for generation and transmission companies, but a wider community benefit is to be had, too. Mark Ruskell was right to point to the difficulties around community benefit when it comes to transmission—we need to get more innovative with how that works in the future. The criticism of the Scottish Government over the delayed energy strategy is entirely valid and sets a context for the debate that we are having. Those concerns are right. Christine Grahame’s effort to turn the matter into some sort of constitutional spat whereby something is being done to Scotland by perfidious— Christine Grahame: Will the member give way? Liam McArthur: I will not give way, I am afraid.”
“Michael Matheson was right to say that we are constantly talking about the need for a just transition but the transition will work only if our energy market is joined up and does what it needs to do. His was a very helpful contribution to the debate. I do not think that any of us would argue that the consenting regime process is right. Finlay Carson’s intervention highlighted a case that I do not know the details of but that did not sound like a particularly effective way of building public confidence, whatever else it is seeking to achieve. Reforms are needed. The minister—somewhat uncharacteristically, perhaps—appeared to suggest that lessons could be learned from what is in place south of the border. Let us see whether that new leaf has, indeed, been turned. The point that was made about community benefit is important.”
“The other contribution that I found very helpful came from Michael Matheson, who linked the chronology of all of this. We are focusing on the consenting regime consultation that is on the go— and that is right—but let us understand how we got here. Michael Matheson talked about the decisions of the previous UK Conservative Government, which did not have an unblemished record when it came to the development of renewables but recognised that, if we were to have any chance of meeting our net zero targets, we would need to step up the pace of generation development, which would be utterly pointless and fruitless were it not to be backed by simultaneous investment in the transmission and storage infrastructure.”
“Hearing Douglas Lumsden rail against corporate profits—which might come back to haunt him—while Stephen Kerr complained about oil and gas companies being taxed to death was a bit like being in “Alice through the Looking Glass”. A speech that stood out for me was Michael Marra’s, about the responsibility that rests on us as politicians. None of these issues are easy. As I said in my earlier speech, one of the benefits that Scotland and the UK have—I will come back to that point about Scotland and the UK—is that our policy and regulatory environment is seen as being broadly stable, irrespective of what Government is in office either at a UK level or a Scottish level. That has been to our benefit and has attracted investors. However, that perception is now under challenge.”
“Christine Grahame: We need energy to be devolved, which would bring energy and planning together. That would open the door to community benefits for communities that might be affected and to local energy pricing. The Conservatives will never agree to that—so be it. I say to Mr Lumsden that this debate has produced more heat than light. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Have you concluded your speech, Ms Grahame? Christine Grahame: Yes—I have sat down. The Deputy Presiding Officer: I was just checking. Thank you. I call Liam McArthur to close on behalf of the Scottish Liberal Democrats. 16:46 Liam McArthur: As Christine Grahame alluded to, the debate has perhaps produced more heat than light.”
“The fourth national planning framework— NPF4—influences all planning and consenting decisions to ensure that the sustainable expansion of our electricity networks protects our most valued natural assets and cultural heritage. Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis. Indeed, I have already raised my concerns about the potential disruption to the invaluable and successful South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project in the Tweed valley. The irony is that the south of Scotland produces more than four times the electricity that it requires but does not benefit from any local electricity pricing. The proposed pylons will stream that electricity south, where, ironically, standing charges are cheaper—41.57p per day in London from January to April this year, but 64.16p per day in the south of Scotland. Finlay Carson: Will the member give way?”
“When SPEN made a presentation to Scottish Borders Council in December, it was clear that the line was being driven by UK Government energy targets and that minimal energy would be transmitted the other way, so the proposal is primarily about meeting energy demands in the south. Legislation and regulations related to electricity networks are reserved, and the National Energy System Operator is responsible for a strategic approach to transmission investment. It is for the transmission owner—in this case, SPEN—to analyse the impact of a proposal and ensure that the views of local communities, for example, are considered. I emphasise that the Scottish Government has no role in that process apart from in relation to its statutory planning and consenting processes, which come into operation at the very end of the UK energy processes.”
“It is a pity that I have only four minutes for my speech, so I cannot take interventions. There is a proposal by Scottish Power Energy Networks for a string of pylons partly across my constituency. Although I support a move to more green and renewable energy, with much of it being generated in my local area—which, of course, means increased grid capacity—I cannot support the current proposed route, which would involve an invasive network of pylons cutting through the beautiful Borders landscape. There would not even be community benefit. The proposal is not about keeping the lights on in Scotland.”
“Strangely enough, I am chairing something to do with salmon farming, which shows the diversity in the Parliament. I cannot see how I can put the two things together. I say to the showpeople, “Keep it up”, because without fairgrounds our agricultural shows would be very dull places indeed. 17:45”
“I wish them all well because of the atmosphere that they bring to agricultural shows, which nobody else has mentioned. I do not pitch Edinburgh against Glasgow; that is a waste of time—it is the Borders first. Getting back to the issue, I have two confessions to make about the fairgrounds. First, I just cannae eat candy floss. It does not matter how it comes, I just cannae eat it, try as I will. Secondly, fairgrounds have given me, as a granny, the opportunity to indulge in things that I find very scary—although sometimes I am commanded to do so by my grandchildren. They do not find them scary, but they put the fear of God into this politician, and not many people can do that. I thank the showpeople again for the great atmosphere that they bring to agricultural shows. I apologise for not being able to come to the reception later.”
“I congratulate the member on securing the debate and I welcome members of the congress. I had better mention Richard Lyle or I will never live it down. I want to make a brief contribution. Fairgrounds and shows are an important part of our agricultural shows, with their shiny new tractors, the powder- puffed sheep, the geese that have been marching against each other, the food stalls, the charity stalls and even the political stalls. Above all that, there is the noise and music and the familiar tunes of the fairgrounds—the happy homes of shows at the Border union in Kelso, at Peebles and at Penicuik, in the park. There is the timeless scream of the children who cannot make up their minds whether they are frightened or having a good time on some of the very scary rides and the dodgems.”
“Too many WASPI women in the north-east have already passed away without getting justice, and many more will be leaving us as we speak. They cannot and should not wait for justice, and neither should we. 16:31”
“We share common needs—for sufficient income, yes, but also shared services, clean environments, cohesive communities, loving families and friends, and we share hopes and fears for the future. All of those things involve other people. The fight of WASPI women is not for them alone, whether it be the tens of thousands in the north-east or beyond. It is for all of us who care for one another, about justice and about keeping faith with the promises that we imply as well as those that we make explicit. It is for the benefit of good relationships and trust between people and public services. It is for the good of children who need their grannies and the communities that need their volunteers. It is for the integrity of our politics and the recognition of right. The WASPI women’s fight encapsulates all of that, and an end to it is long overdue.”
“To be generous, we might suggest that the Government needs to do a bit of work—or a lot of work—to understand how its decisions affect women. Gender and human rights budgeting are practical tools that it would do well to learn to use. There is more to the issue than just ignorance. Such policies look like a deliberate attempt to set generations against one another, and it suggests that “the taxpayer”, as Sir Keir Starmer calls them, does not care about the wellbeing of either children or older people. It is nonsense, of course, but it is dangerous nonsense. That is a game that we refuse to play. Child poverty, pensioner poverty and migrant poverty are all connected. Four hundred years ago, John Donne penned the words: “No man is an island.” No woman, especially a WASPI woman, is an island, either.”
“The decision not to pay compensation to the WASPI women stands alongside Labour’s continuation of the cruel, punitive and widely condemned two- child limit and its ending of the universal winter fuel allowance for older people. Last Christmas was bleak indeed. What do those policies have in common? They all target women and other marginalised people. As Karen Adam suggested in last week’s members debate, there is more than a hint of misogyny in the way that the original policy was implemented and in successive Government responses. Hoping that WASPI women will just give up and go away is a disgraceful way for any Government to behave, but for a Labour Government to dismiss calls for compensation for gender injustice is utterly shocking.”
“The amount of compensation that the ombudsman recommended was, in my view and in the view of many WASPI campaigners, much too low, but I hope we will have the opportunity to explore that issue further at a later date. Meanwhile, the essential principle stands that compensation is properly payable. That was the bit of hope that was sorely needed in what has been felt by many to be pretty bleak times. That hope was dashed cruelly by the UK Labour Government just before Christmas. After its multiple photo opportunities with WASPI women, the UK Labour Government has given them what? An apology? That might be welcomed by some, as far as it goes. Some find it insulting, and, as Linda Carmichael eloquently put it, “an apology doesn’t pay the bills.” So, what is the Government doing?”
“As we have heard from across the chamber, this is an issue of justice—of social justice—because what WASPI women have experienced for far too long is a scandalous injustice. This afternoon, and on previous occasions when we have debated this issue, we have heard the sometimes harrowing stories of women struggling—for food, for warmth, for their families, for dignity and for hope. The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s report last year offered WASPI women a little bit of hope. The ombudsman made it clear that compensation is the right and proper course for the Westminster Government to take. As Kevin Stewart said earlier, the UK Government should listen to that independent view—that is what it is for.”
“She continues: “Obviously we now have the Ombudsman’s findings that indeed the DWP did not inform these women about the changes to their pension age to give them time to set up alternative pensions. Finally it angers me to see how we have been used by the Labour Party who fully supported us, signed petitions, got their pictures taken—for what, just votes?” Those are Clare’s words. I could not say it better myself. The Deputy Presiding Officer: We move to closing speeches. There is a little time in hand. 16:26 Maggie Chapman: The strength of feeling here this afternoon is palpable—from MSPs across the chamber, of course, but also, as is to be expected, from the public gallery. There is anger, frustration, a sense of betrayal and grief.”
“Now—as is evidenced by the amendment, frankly—the Labour UK branch office is alive and well. Today, Labour has nowhere to hide—not even in that amendment. Each of those 14,000-plus women across my constituency is an individual, so I will end with the words of Clare Ramage, who had to take early retirement at 58 and who established the Borders WASPI group. “I was told that to get my state pension I would have to apply for it so at 58 I contacted the DWP to better understand how I go about this. I was then told that I would not get my state pension until I was 66 years old. I was shocked and said, But you never told me. To which they replied, ‘WE DIDN’T NEED TO’. I felt powerless for the first time in my life. Who was going to fight for me as there was no union to help?” That is when she set up WASPI Scottish Borders.”
“And they say that because they had no reason to question their State Pension age, they did not request information.” The PHSO has also stated: “Given the scale of the impact of DWP’s maladministration, and the urgent need for a remedy, we are taking the rare but necessary step of asking Parliament to intervene.” I emphasise the phrase “rare but necessary”. That brings me to Labour. The DWP has now said that introducing such a compensation scheme for women who were born in the 1950s would be “neither fair nor feasible”—contrast that with the phrase “rare but necessary”. Now that their party is in Government, Labour MPs have erased many of their online comments in support of the WASPI women just as quickly as they stood for photo ops with the campaigners.”
“In other words, it would not be compensation for lost pension, which is another injustice; it would be compensation only for the failure to inform women, to enable them to adequately adjust matters for their financial future. The suggested figures are in the lower thousands of pounds, not tens of thousands. The report states: “Complainants have ... told us the Government Gateway website incorrectly stated State Pension age for women was 60 as late as 2016.” It also states: “Complainants have told us they did not see any of the publicly available information because, for example, they did not read magazines, did not see leaflets, or had no reason to visit Benefits Agency offices.”
“To relate it to my constituency, in cold numbers, as many as 5,630 WASPI women in Midlothian and 8,740 across the Borders have lost out, many of whom have tirelessly campaigned for decades to right this wrong. As I said, WASPI women have no argument with the equalisation of the pension age; the issue is the way that it was done, with immediate financial change compounded by the failure to publicise and inform of the changes. That is what the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman found in its report, which was confined to the question of maladministration by the DWP. The report found that the women affected were not properly informed and that they deserved and should be awarded compensation.”
“There was not only a lack of proper information but a brutal loss of pensionable years, which has left many women in penury. As a divorced older woman, and in common with many single women, including widows and divorcees, I had to plan and calculate how I could pay off my mortgage in line with my retirement. The extension of the state pension age by up to six years sabotaged financial plans, and we already had a smaller state pension—it is only by chance that I am still working. The financial penalties for women are high. For example, 23 per cent of single female Scottish pensioners live in relative poverty, and 66 per cent of pension credit claimants are women.”
“There was an assumption that the married woman would have her husband’s pension to rely on, as well as her own smaller pension through paying what was known as the small stamp, as I did. Any woman’s employment pension was also reduced because of those years out. That is how I recall those years, anyway. However, although life has its ups and downs, there was that constant of the retirement age of 60 for women. It was a contract between women and Government that was founded in trust—it was secure. With changes in life expectancy and work patterns, change was on the cards, and I do not think that there is any argument about that. I think that WASPI women do not dispute the move towards equalisation; the issue is the way that it was done.”
“I, too, welcome the WASPI women who are in the public gallery. I also welcome the opportunity to contribute, as I did in the members’ business debate last week. I declare an interest, as a pensioner, although I am fortunate in that I missed the change in pension age, being born in the mid- 1940s, although my three younger sisters were affected. Back then, it was expected that women would aim to get married, leave work to have children and perhaps return later. Broadly speaking, they were not expected to have a career or, if they did, they were expected to interrupt it for the children. That is what I did—I left my then profession of teaching for six years, as there was no formal childcare then.”
“We Are With You—formerly known as Addaction—is a drug and alcohol support service in the Borders that I have visited a few times. It is free and provides non-judgmental support and advice from what it now calls the with you team. Everything, whether in person or online, is confidential. The only time that that might change is if the service has serious concerns about the safety of a client or someone else. We Are With You provides support groups, as well as support for family and friends. There is a free syringe service, which is very discreet. Finally, Dementia Friendly Tweeddale is very supportive, not just of people who have been diagnosed with dementia but of their families. I commend all the NHS services and volunteers across my constituency for what they do. 17:47”
“It frees up hospital beds, and more than 90 per cent of people who took up the offer had nothing but praise for it. It is so much better if people can be treated and recover at home, in the comfort of familiar surroundings. The voluntary sector is integral to the delivery of healthcare and wellbeing across the Borders. The Royal Voluntary Service has a Scottish Borders hub. Volunteer drivers can take clients to regular NHS appointments in the community, and patient transport for cancer care appointments, which may be outwith the local area—even as far as Edinburgh royal infirmary—is covered. Similarly, Borders Wheels, which I visited in Galashiels, is available to take people to health appointments and respite care. Such services are difficult to connect in urban areas.”
“Things were made comfortable for people who wanted to come to work professionally in the Borders. I turn to hospital at home, which does what it says on the tin. It was launched as a pilot in the Borders in 2023. On a recent visit to Borders general hospital with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, we learned of the success of hospital at home for the wellbeing and recovery of patients, particularly the elderly. NHS Borders benefits from the largest slice of the Scottish Government’s funding to continue to develop that service, having been allocated £600,000 from a £3.6 million pot. Evidence shows that those who benefit from the service are more likely to avoid hospital or care home stays for up to six months after an acute illness.”
“Collaboration, which is so difficult in urban areas, is personal. Of course, volunteers interact not only professionally but socially, and in smaller communities, there is even closer-knit collaboration. Regarding Rachael Hamilton’s comment, I have had similar situations and have intervened successfully for a constituent when an alternative offered to them simply was not practical. What was said was wrong—not what Rachael Hamilton said, but the message that her constituent received. In recent years, NHS Borders has successfully taken on 33 international recruits. The figures are slightly historical, but they show that a further 27 had not yet started and they demonstrate success. How did the health board do it? It set in place contacts with local services, schools, key worker housing and so on for the recruits and their families.”
“I thank the member for securing this debate. For obvious reasons, I will focus on my constituency, which is part of the rural Borders. Of course there are pressures in rural areas on the broad range of health services, which by the nature of distance, topography and demographics—with more elderly people—differ from urban areas. I know that not only because I am constituency MSP, but because in earlier times I lived in Minnigaff, in rural Galloway, which is 60 miles from either Ayr or Dumfries hospital. However, although there are pressures, as there are across the UK, there are advantages to being rural. Everyone across the professional and voluntary sector seems to know someone who knows someone else, whether GPs or pharmacists, or housing agency, social work or NHS Borders staff.”
“To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what discussions it has had with the United Kingdom Government transport secretary regarding the £5 million contribution that the previous Administration made towards a feasibility study into the extension of the Borders railway. (S6O-04211)”
“Finally it angers me to see how we have been used by the Labour Party who fully supported us, signed petitions, got their pictures taken—for what, just votes?” I could not have said it better myself. 18:08”