Brian Whittle
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party · Scotland
“As Jamie Halcro Johnston said, roads, rail networks and ferries—we keep coming back to ferries—are key to keeping those communities where they are and stopping migration away from them. The chamber will welcome the fact that this— eventually—is my last speech in this parliamentary session.”
“Speaking as somebody who got his first mobile phone—a brick of a thing—at the age of 32, I find that quite astonishing. It is important that pupils have the opportunity to put their phones down in school, but also important is what happens outside school.”
“As always, I want to introduce a slightly different approach to the subject and so I will talk about how we should develop health policy. We must start from the position that services should be available to our communities no matter where they are, whether they are urban, rural or on islands.”
“It is interesting that the girls attitudes survey carried out by Girlguiding UK in 2025 found that girls are restricting their online activity in order to protect themselves, with more than a third of respondents reporting that they avoid using certain apps and platforms in order to protect themselves.”
“It is a pleasure to follow Beatrice Wishart, who, as we all know, has been a real champion for her communities in the time that she has spent here.”
“That was an interesting question from Mr Harvie, as the Scottish Greens have spent the majority of this session of Parliament demonising our farmers and food producers.”
The complete record
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“For example, I hear about the potential barriers for carers at school, including—potentially—a lack of understanding among teachers. We need to ensure that all teachers are properly aligned with, and understand, the needs of carers, including why homework is sometimes late and why pupils may sometimes come into school tired and unable to give their best work. Breaks such as the young carers festival play an important role in the preventative health agenda by allowing carers time away to help them to manage their stress and cope better. There is mounting evidence that caring is a social determinant of health and contributes to health inequalities. For example, we know that 91 per cent of young carers experience a detrimental impact on their mental health and emotional wellbeing as a result of their caring role.”
“For the past 18 years, Carers Trust has organised the Scottish young carers festival, which allows young carers to have a break away. That festival is a highlight of my year, as it is for many of my colleagues in the chamber. As MSPs, we have days that are better than others, and that day is one of the best. We get the opportunity to watch the young carers in carefree abandonment, doing things like strapping old men into harnesses and pushing them down zip lines in the hope of making them squeal. On top of that, we get the opportunity to sit around a table with young carers while they express their views to us, question us and tell us what their lives are like and how we, in this chamber, can make their lives better. I always hear about things that I would never imagine.”
“Survey data in Scotland has consistently shown that only 3 or 4 per cent of carers are having a break. From my conversations with Carers Trust and the coalition of carers in Scotland, I know that breaks look different for each individual. Sometimes, breaks can involve simply having the chance to do everyday activities that people who are not carers take for granted, such as doing the shopping or attending a hospital appointment, having a coffee with a friend or even participating in everyday activities or interacting with friends. We also know that young carers face barriers in accessing support and that those in rural areas, in particular, face challenges in accessing their right to a break because of the lack of available support and the right options for them.”
“It is a privilege to speak in this debate, and I thank my colleague Paul O’Kane for bringing it to the chamber. I have to say that we are not used to speaking in the chamber when the gallery is so full, especially when there are young people up there saying things like, “Come on—impress me then, big man.” That is not usually what we do. The Scottish Government has estimated that there are at least 30,000 young carers under the age of 18 in Scotland, although it is thought that that is an underrepresentation. As Jeremy Balfour eloquently put it, many young carers do not realise that they are young carers, and studies have indicated that there could be as many as 100,000 young carers in Scotland. The theme of this year’s young carers action day is “give me a break”—or in Scottish parlance, “geezabreak”.”
“If we focus on outcomes, we see that 99.6 per cent of primary schools were meeting the target of two hours of PE per week in July 2024, compared with 10 per cent in 2004-05. Although I do not disagree with Brian Whittle about the importance of the subject, progress is being made, and the facts bear that out.”
“Graeme Dey: As Brian Whittle has alluded to, we ought to focus on outcomes. He refers to a 43 per cent drop in PE specialists in primary schools. Primary school teachers are generalists who deliver the totality of their curriculum, including PE. Specialist PE teachers are predominantly based in secondary schools, and, over the period to which he referred, the number of PE teachers in secondary schools has increased by 20 per cent. That has helped to ensure that almost every school in Scotland now meets the target for the provision of physical education in schools. The reason why I refer to secondary schools is that, in some local authority areas, secondary PE teachers deliver PE in their primary school clusters, and those numbers are recorded differently.”
“In 2023-24, 4.9 million visits were recorded over the 262,000 active school sessions that were delivered. That is a 3.5 per cent increase on the previous year. Brian Whittle: The erosion of opportunities for our children to participate in sport is directly related to poor physical and mental health, as well as declining behavioural standards. Sport gives children another way to express themselves and to achieve, and it engenders confidence, resilience and self-worth. Reducing those opportunities has consequences—like the 43 per cent reduction in PE specialists in primary schools in the past 10 years. Would the minister rather invest in those positive activities and help to prevent poor outcomes, or does he prefer paying for that lack of investment in poor physical and mental health outcomes, reduced attainment and poor behaviour in class?”
“To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its reported positive impact on educational attainment, how it ensures that the education system provides pupils with a wide range of opportunities to participate in sport. (S6O-04431) The Minister for Higher and Further Education; and Minister for Veterans (Graeme Dey): Schools offer a wide range of opportunities for pupils to engage in physical activities, both in and beyond the school environment. For example, the daily mile is an excellent way in which schools incorporate physical activity into the day, outwith specific physical education lessons. It encourages pupils to run, jog, wheel or walk daily. The active schools programmes, which are also free to schools, create opportunities for young people to get involved—and stay involved—in sport.”
“It affects us collectively as a country. Women are central to all Government priorities, and ensuring that the Government is more gender competent is a core ambition of the National Advisory Council on Women and Girls. The Government strongly supports that. Mercedes Villalba: Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention? Shirley-Anne Somerville: Our support for trans rights does not conflict with our continued strong commitment to uphold the rights and protections that women and girls have under the 2010 act.”
“Will the cabinet secretary take an intervention? Shirley-Anne Somerville: Gender equality is at the heart of the Scottish Government’s vision for a fairer Scotland. We want women and girls to be empowered to exercise equal rights and opportunities, have equitable access to economic resources and decision making, and live their lives free of all forms of violence, abuse and harassment. We continue to take forward work to protect, promote and improve gender equality, recognising that intersectional inequality exists in Scotland. That includes work to deliver and implement the ambitious recommendations from the First Minister’s National Advisory Council on Women and Girls, alongside the women’s health plan and the equally safe strategy. Gender inequality is complex and harmful, and it affects everyone, not just women and girls.”
“There was always going to be a test- and-learn approach based on the implementation of that first 30 minutes, which has been challenging in some parts of the system. There has been no reneging—there is a clear commitment and a clear process by which we arrive at 36 hours next April. I will continue to engage with trade union colleagues and staff as to that implementation, because I am committed to honouring the deal that we signed, which committed us to 36 hours by April 2026. I reiterate that there was no commitment as to the process for how that was going to be arrived at, but I have given staff and unions certainty as to how it will be arrived at over the coming year. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Question 6 was not lodged. Gyneacological Health Services (Access) 7.”
“In the face of impending industrial action in 2024, the cabinet secretary negotiated and agreed the commitment to pay and improved conditions, including reducing hours. He agreed to the timescale. There were no clauses that indicated that the Scottish Government commitment was subject to any decisions elsewhere, and he has reneged on that commitment. Does the cabinet secretary not recognise that the commitments belong to him and the Scottish Government, and that he must own those decisions? How can anyone take the Scottish Government at its word in future negotiations? Neil Gray: The pay deal that was arrived at two pay deals ago was for a reduced working week to 36 hours, to be arrived at by April 2026. When I came into post, I implemented the first 30 minutes last year.”
“The reduction in access is not the only issue, but it is increasingly becoming a part of the bigger picture. If we keep eroding opportunities to engage, to be part of something and to be committed, we will continue to see a rise in poor mental and physical health and the need for more ASN support. We have heard about attainment, attendance and behaviour, but it is a false economy. Consideration of the bigger picture is perhaps overdue. We need more outlets so that children can use their energy—at the moment, those opportunities are being eroded. 17:52”
“For pupils who are not academically minded, is there enough in the school curriculum to maintain attention and even attendance? I have talked many times about how sport and activity are outlets for energy, but those outlets are being eroded. We have the opportunity to address that, including the 1,140 hours in pre-school. In primary schools, physical education specialists have been reduced by 43 per cent in just 10 years. Is it any wonder that children’s opportunities to be active are reducing? I was pleased to hear Liz Smith speak about outdoor learning, because that embodies the issue—the ability to be out there and to have a variety of experience in sport, art, music and drama, and to have time away from the mobile phone. Are we giving our children outlets to be enthusiastic, committed and engaged in and out of a school environment?”
“There are many moving parts, and many other members have spoken about them, but I think that we are discussing additional support needs in isolation. The rise in additional support needs mirrors poor health outcomes and rises in drug and alcohol abuse, foetal alcohol spectrum disorder, and obesity and poor mental health, as well as declining behaviour in the classroom. It cannot all be down to the need for better diagnosis or certain conditions not previously being recognised. For me, part of the issue is the lack of opportunities to be active, to be included and to be enthusiastic and passionate about a topic, especially with others. I listened to Stuart McMillan’s speech on his constituency case. The need to be able to access active play is unbelievably important.”
“I thank my colleague and friend Alexander Stewart for bringing a hugely important debate to the chamber. There have been very passionate speeches from across the chamber. I will start with a declaration of interest. I have a daughter who is head of guidance and a physical education specialist at a secondary school. Much of what I am going to say today I have learned from her over the years. The rise of additional support needs has to be of huge concern, as has the decline in ASN support and assistance, to the detriment of pupils, teachers and parents, as my colleague has just said. I want to look at the issue from a slightly different perspective. I want to look at why it is happening and what it could be connected to.”
“I recognise the work of River Garden and thank the charity for doing it. I will see what I can do about being able to take up Sharon Dowey’s offer of a visit. Finally, I thank Bob Doris for his suggestion that there is a need for better consensus building. To conclude, there is absolutely more work to do. I recognise that we are not at the end of the mission. We have to keep working hard to reduce the harm that is associated with drug dependency, and we must continue to do everything possible to save lives. That is absolutely at the heart of the work that this Government is committed to. 17:10”
“Foysol Choudhury spoke of the need for cross- portfolio collaboration, and I assure him that that is happening. I would go one step further and say that we need cross-society action and all of us to reflect on how, in all aspects of life, we are contributing to stigma with the narrative on drug dependency, especially for those who have lost their lives. Emma Harper: Will the member take an intervention? Neil Gray: I am sorry, but I am struggling for time—indeed, I think that I am probably beyond my allocation. On the point that Emma Harper made, it helps to focus on one of the successes of the national mission that has been relayed to me as such by some of the families I have been able to speak to, which is the reduction in stigma. That means that people are now more willing to come forward and access services.”
“I look forward to visiting Aberlour’s services in due course, and I welcome Alex Cole-Hamilton’s acknowledgement that this is a public health issue. I pay tribute to Elena Whitham for her time in the role as Minister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy and for her on-going interest in and commitment to the area. She recognised the social determinants of ill health and drug dependency, and I echo the need for the recovery hubs that she spoke about and note the excellent facilities that they provide. The Airdrie recovery cafe in my constituency does such good work and gives value and agency to those with lived and living experience, so that they can be involved in supporting others. Similarly, Stuart McMillan spoke about community and voluntary interaction. Again, I point to the Corra Foundation investment.”
“She reflected on the need for political will, and I think that there has been substantial political will from the Government and the Parliament in delivering the £250 million national mission. We have taken bold action in delivering the UK’s first safer consumption facility, we have worked with the Home Office to deliver drug checking facilities, and we have delivered the first national naloxone programme roll-out. I do not think that we can take those successes for granted, but I am also not complacent about the need to do more. Of course, I understand the desire for more to be done, and I will absolutely commit us to doing more as we continue to assess the efficacy of the national mission and consider what comes next. I welcome the Liberal Democrats’ intervention on and collaboration with the budget.”
“Although the terms of the grants vary, three-year grant funding is often available. Brian Whittle: The report calls for an expansion of services, which are telling us that, without more support, they will not exist. How do we follow the money and ensure that the investment reaches the services that the money is intended for and those that need it? Neil Gray: Carrying out an assessment such as that is a necessity for all public funding. Public Health Scotland assesses the national mission on an on-going basis in order to provide the assurance that Mr Whittle is looking for. Maggie Chapman reflected on the tenor of our discussion and the fact that the people’s panel provided the space to take the heat out of an incredibly sensitive issue.”
“I am not sure whether Annie Wells or Sue Webber has been to the Thistle, but I encourage them to visit if they have not, so that they can see the value of it and understand why the Lord Advocate was able to give her statement on prosecution policy. It is a means to attract to statutory or community support services people who have never interacted with them before, and the early evidence is clear that that is starting to happen. Carol Mochan asked about multiyear funding. We have baselined an additional £19 million this year for ADPs, to provide greater certainty. Carol Mochan and Bob Doris also raised a point about funding for community and voluntary organisations. The Corra Foundation funding is a five-year £65 million fund, and more than 300 projects have been provided with multiyear funding since 2021.”
“You have referred to figures for 2022-23, but we are not seeing the evidence of people moving through the system. I would like your reassurance that we are monitoring the situation and looking at how many individuals we are supporting and helping through the process. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Members should always speak through the chair. Neil Gray: We are, indeed, which is why I am able to highlight the figures on the number of publicly funded places. Whether it is residential rehab, harm reduction or the support of our community and voluntary organisations through our funding of the Corra Foundation, which I will come to, there is no single area that we need to point to.”
“We are doing that, and the interactions with the likes of the Thistle centre are testament to that and to the asks with regard to people coming through to employment. Annie Wells also asked us to do more around residential rehab. We had committed to having 1,000 publicly funded residential rehab places by 2026, and Public Health Scotland figures show that, in 2022-23, we supported 1,033 publicly funded residential rehab places and that an additional 637 were privately funded—so, progress is being made there. There has also been a dramatic increase in bed capacity from 425 beds in 2021 to a maximum of 513 in 2024—that is a 21 per cent increase, which I think we all welcome. Annie Wells: I appreciate everything that is being done, but we need to move faster.”
“That is of fundamental importance. Because of the tenor of the debate, I will do my best to respond to as much as possible of what members have contributed. First, in response to Audrey Nicoll’s asks and those of the other committee conveners, I hope that they will have received further correspondence from me this morning. In particular, in response to Audrey Nicoll’s question about single shared assessments, MAT standards 6 and 9 require mental health and drug services to be joined up, and those standards are in the process of being implemented. We are taking forward the joint mental health and substance use protocol, which was published in September. I will address Annie Wells’s and Sue Webber’s remarks together, because they focused on similar areas. Annie Wells asked us to involve people with lived experience.”
“I am inclined to agree, because if we want our communities to flourish and we want to deal with the corrosive impact of drug addiction and other issues, we cannot afford for them to come third any more. 17:02 Neil Gray: I very much welcome the tenor of the debate. It has been almost universally consensual, which is highlighted by the fact that we all support the recommendations of the people’s panel—in that, the Parliament is united. Members’ contributions have been thoughtful, and I think that everybody has come to the chamber seeking to answer the question that we are all posing ourselves: how can we overcome the situation that our communities face? I am also heartened by the fact that we have not had a policy debate but a debate about how quickly and how universally we can deliver the services that are part of the national mission.”
“During my time in Parliament, I have been able to engage with incredible organisations that are able to reach people in the community who need them the most, such as the Ochiltree Community Hub, CentreStage Communities, Recovery Enterprises Scotland and Morven day services, to name but a few. However, each financial year, their contracts and services are at risk. In closing, I will relate a point that was made to me recently by a founder of a community organisation in Kilmarnock. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Briefly. Brian Whittle: We often refer to such groups as “the third sector”, but she argued that that does them a disservice. To call them the third sector suggests that they are lower priority or somehow less important than the others. Instead, she suggests that “the community sector” would be a more appropriate title.”
“I am sure that we all know about community programmes in our constituencies, and I am sure that we all know that some have a constant struggle to secure year-on-year funding, especially those that address mental health and recovery, as was highlighted by Sue Webber. That is why I whole-heartedly welcome the recommendation in the report for a protected five-year minimum period for funding for community and third service sectors. I understand the extreme financial pressures that councils are under, but when decisions on funding are made, all too often the instinct of councils is to bring services in-house rather than supporting services in the third sector, which unfortunately often fail to achieve the same level of benefit in the community.”
“I was pleased to hear about the impact of River Garden Auchincruive, which was mentioned by my colleague Sharon Dowey. She highlighted the impact not just on people who are seeking treatment but the impact on family and friends who are in that important support network. In my view, intervention and prevention must begin as early as possible, and they should begin with the community. I agree that a drugs and alcohol prevention curriculum is needed, but that is only one piece of a much larger puzzle. Along with the recommendations in the report, we need to make sure that our children develop healthy lifestyle habits early. I have always said that investment in education is an investment in health and wellbeing.”
“Annie Wells, in a very powerful speech—she always speaks powerfully on this topic—talked about people who she had met who just want to stop their relationship with drugs and alcohol. When those people ask for help, they must get it. That is why Douglas Ross’s Right to Addiction Recovery (Scotland) Bill, which is going through the committee at the moment, will, I hope, be a help. It is not a panacea, but it is a significant step towards a system that gives hope—which is the word that Annie Wells used—to those people who are looking for treatment for addiction and lets them know that there is support for them. When they are brave enough to ask for that help, it is so important that they get it then and there—it is not enough to say, “Yes, we will help you somewhere down the line,” because if we do that, we will lose them.”
“Alex Cole-Hamilton: Does Brian Whittle recognise that this is, as such, a particularly Scottish problem and that we probably need a particularly Scottish solution? To that end, does his party support the further devolution of some aspects of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971? Brian Whittle: It is a particularly Scottish problem, but my point is that we do not know why. If we do not understand why, how can we come up with a solution? Elena Whitham: Will the member take an intervention? Brian Whittle: Let me finish this point. If we do not identify that, how can we prevent others from taking the place of those who are in treatment? I very much believe in community interaction, which is declining in Scotland—I do not think that that is a coincidence. We need to tackle prevention along with treatment.”
“In fact, I was once again let out of Kilmarnock prison on Monday—it always surprises me when they let me back out—where I had been talking with others about that exact topic. In that pre-planning interface, it is often the third sector that is so important. I was not trying to catch the cabinet secretary out when I again asked him the question that I asked. My concern with the cabinet secretary’s response is that it fails to answer why Scotland is such an outlier. As Alex Cole-Hamilton talked about, we know that the reason for drug abuse is, often, childhood trauma, and we know the impact that poverty and deindustrialisation have. However, although those things are no worse here than in any other part of the UK, we are seeing a much worse outcome. Alex Cole-Hamilton: Will the member take an intervention? Brian Whittle: Yes, I will.”
“The Deputy Presiding Officer: Your microphone is not on, Mr Cole-Hamilton. Mr Whittle, can you just continue, please? Brian Whittle: Sorry, Mr Cole-Hamilton. With regard to the things that were said today, I was pleased to hear Clare Haughey mention the importance of the third sector as an access point to services. I hope that I can go back to that point if I have time. Collette Stevenson talked about the significance of lived experience to the provision of support and aftercare. That is absolutely critical. She also talked about the impact of stigma on those who are potentially seeking recovery and treatment, and about the stigma that prevents people from getting into employment. Audrey Nicoll talked about the transition from prisons and pre-release planning, which I have worked on.”
“I rise on behalf of the Scottish Conservatives to close the debate. I am grateful, as others are, to the people’s panel and the committees for producing such a comprehensive report. It has been a really good debate, and it has been consensual, in that we all agree on the direction of travel. I remember very well that the last debate in the previous session of Parliament was on drug deaths. We voted with the Government, as did the whole chamber, on a motion that included safe consumption rooms, even though I still have great reservations about that. I remember saying at the time that we cannot keep having the same debate over and over. This is a crisis, and we are prepared to try whatever is needed. I look forward to the report on the safe consumption room— Alex Cole-Hamilton: Will the member give way? Brian Whittle: Of course.”
“In the coming months, the Scottish Government will launch several resources to support the sector’s workforce, which have been developed with our expert advisory group and will set out the knowledge and skills that are expected of those working to support people who use substances. Emma Harper raised an important point about that in her intervention. The suite of resources will support learning and training and, crucially, support people with lived and living experience to pursue and sustain careers in drug and alcohol services and beyond, which is something that Collette Stevenson rightly focused on in her speech.”
“In the evidence from the people’s panel report, we see an acknowledgement—as I was about to come on to—that creating a national mission with a broad scope, rather than picking a silver bullet or one area that will resolve all those issues, is the right approach to take. That is what the Government is committed to, as am I. I will come on to explain why that is the case. I want to assure the chamber that the priorities that we have set out and that are at the heart of the people panel’s report remain at the core of our national mission and cross-Government support. A key part of our response—and something that was a focus of the joint committee’s work and evidence session in which I participated—is ensuring that we have a trauma-informed and resilient workforce to support people with drug and alcohol dependencies.”
“There is a recognition pretty much across the chamber that we must work collaboratively on the issue. I have asked this question before in previous years but I have yet to get an answer. If we are really to tackle the issue, we must understand why Scotland is such an outlier. Is any work being done to find out why that is the case? Neil Gray: Brian Whittle and I have engaged on that point. Strong evidence points to a direct correlation between levels of poverty, deprivation and deindustrialisation and levels of drug and alcohol harm and deaths. Beyond that, it is difficult to ascertain exactly why Scotland has had such a problem. However, I am focused on the areas that can provide us with salvation and a solution.”
“To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that the process for approving renewable energy developments above 50MW encourages developers to carry out high-quality consultations and gives communities sufficient information and opportunity to engage meaningfully. (S6O-04405)”
“To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to support farmers responding to threats to livestock from disease. (S6F-03839)”
“We will continue to deliver for the people of Scotland, with: free prescriptions; free university tuition; free school meals; free childcare for three and four-year-olds, as well as eligible two-year-olds; free bus travel for almost 2.3 million people; and an NHS that is free at the point of use. We believe in using progressive taxation to pay for that social contract. Although we ask the richest in our society to pay a little more, most people will pay less tax in Scotland than they would do in England. We know where the Tories stand, but Labour members must decide today whether they want to support the NHS and eradicate child poverty. Will they vote for the benefit of Scotland or for the benefit of Starmer? The choice is theirs. 16:29”
“However, it is a great pity that local authorities are having to face the burden of Labour’s employer national insurance contribution hike. A large proportion of the council tax increases that we have seen is entirely down to that unexpected hike, which is a tax on jobs. Although the Scottish Government’s budget provides for public services that Scots rely on, we simply cannot ignore the impact of Labour’s national insurance tax grab. Alongside all that, we will begin work to lift more than 15,000 children out of poverty by ending Westminster’s two-child cap in Scotland. That will sit alongside our world-leading Scottish child payment. Eradicating child poverty should be at the very heart of all that we do. At the heart of this budget, as always, is the social contract.”
“Will the member take an intervention? Kevin Stewart: I am sorry—I have no more time. That sum includes a record £2.2 billion for primary care services to ensure that people can see a GP when they need one. I hope that some of that new investment will go into community pharmacy. As I heard during a visit to Charles Michie’s pharmacy in Aberdeen yesterday, it is doing its level best for people and delivering preventative services. In addition, the budget contains specific provision to reduce waiting times and improve capacity, treat more than 150,000 extra patients and expand the hospital at home programme by 600 beds. Many of our most vital public services are provided by local government. To recognise that, the budget will send a record £15 billion to local government to support essential services.”
“Brian Whittle: —what consideration has the Scottish Government given to expanding the redress scheme to include those who were abused in education, such as the Fornethy women? The Deputy Presiding Officer: I will need briefer questions as well as briefer responses. Shirley-Anne Somerville: The redress scheme and its terms of reference have been discussed in the chamber many times. The Government’s position on that has not changed, but I will be happy to reflect that in writing to Mr Whittle, or the minister who is directly responsible for the matter will write to him. Two-child Benefit Cap (Release of Data) 6.”
“Although it was very welcome, the redress scheme might contravene the UNCRC act. I am sure that the cabinet secretary will agree that any child abuse, including historical abuse, is an abhorrence. The suffering of people in the education environment—for example, the Fornethy women—remains outside the scope of the scheme. The First Minister stated that the redress scheme is for those for whom the state had taken the role of the parent, but the education bill refers to “in loco parentis”. Given the precedence of error in relation to UNCRC consideration, with a similar scheme having to be amended after being introduced— The Deputy Presiding Officer: I need a question, Mr Whittle.”
“The debate is very welcome, and I thank the Scottish Government for providing time for it. I think that all members understand the suffering and trauma of miscarriage and stillbirth, but the evidence is clear that we are still falling well short of where we need to be. I look forward to getting the opportunity to read through the document that has been produced by the Scottish Government. 15:50”
“It is important that women receive the right support from their very first miscarriage, for their mental and physical health, so that there is no loss of trust in medical professionals. I know that there is a persistent and serious issue in the delivery of healthcare, let alone miscarriage support, in rural areas. My colleague Douglas Ross will touch on that in more detail. However, I note the travel time to access maternity services and mental health services; access to transport to get there; the fact that telehealth might not always be the most appropriate way to deliver care; the shortage of mental health professionals in rural health wards; and the fact that stigma around mental health can be more pronounced in rural communities, increasing the isolation that women and their families feel after miscarriage.”
“The RCM advocates access to high-quality, evidence-based and compassionate miscarriage care, but we need a workforce with the time and education to provide that support. Although it welcomes the work on updating the predicted absence allowance, it is currently not adequate to meet the core mandatory training needs or the gap in speciality midwives to ensure that women and families receive the care and aftercare that they need. That includes the key role of midwives in supporting perinatal mental health for women with miscarriage. The emotional toll of miscarriage can affect a person’s mental health and their approach to future pregnancies, including their willingness to access care.”
“In the Scottish Government’s programme for government for 2023-24, the Scottish National Party promised to improve miscarriage care and support, including by having secure separate spaces in hospital maternity wards for women who suffer a miscarriage. However, the recent report from the Royal College of Nursing includes eye- opening accounts of the lack of privacy and dignity for patients, with nurses having been left with no choice but to discuss miscarriages with couples in hospital corridors. Midwives are often the first line of support for women experiencing miscarriage. However, the Royal College of Midwives has said that midwives simply do not have the time or education to provide high-quality, evidence-based and compassionate miscarriage care.”
“Making sure that partners and families get the right support means that they will be able to process that trauma and support the woman in their lives while she processes her own trauma. Although all that is recognised in current NHS pathways, there is a lack of bespoke support for partners—especially men—and families to help them to process their distinctly different emotions. That brings me to healthcare professionals. Without the staff, the “Delivery Framework for Miscarriage Care in Scotland” and the progesterone pathway cannot be delivered. It is important to look after our staff, both mentally and through making sure that they are properly resourced. Proper resourcing means not only that they have the tools for the job but that they have the proper facilities, educational support and staffing to do their job effectively.”
“The issues included lack of support at the time of loss and later on; lack of recognition of pregnancy loss as a significant event, including in the language used by medical staff; women experiencing loss being seen in the same place as expectant mothers or those who have given birth; high levels of anxiety when thinking about another pregnancy and during future pregnancies; and little access to, or even mention of, counselling or other therapies— and, often, long waiting lists if they were referred to them. When we look holistically at the impact of miscarriage, we need to recognise that the woman’s partner and family are often the first line of support for that woman. However, all too often, they also feel the loss of the pregnancy deeply.”