Note: (DT) signifies a decision taken at Decision Time.
The meeting opened at 9.15 am.
1. Care Home Costs: Mary Scanlon moved S3M-7422—That the Parliament recognises the changing demographics of Scotland and the increasing financial pressures on services providing care for older people; notes that independent and local authority-run care homes in Scotland are regulated in accordance with standards set by the Care Commission; further notes the wide disparities that exist between different service providers with regard to fees and costs and the disparities in the amounts paid by or on behalf of service users for the same service, and accordingly calls on the Scottish Government to ensure that its public engagement process, Reshaping Care for Older People, reviews existing models of funding and provision to ensure that value for money is coupled with continuing high standards of care.
Shona Robison moved amendment S3M-7422.1 to motion S3M-7422—
Leave out from the first “notes” to end and insert—
“recognises the need to shiftthe balance of care; notes that independent and local authority-run care homes in Scotland are regulated by the Care Commission in accordance with standards set by ministers, and further recognises the opportunity through the Reshaping Care programme public engagement process to examine existing models of provision and funding across all care sectors and care settings to ensure that value for money is coupled with continuing high standards of care.”
After debate, the amendment was agreed to (DT).
The motion, as amended, was then agreed to (DT).
Accordingly, the Parliament resolved—That the Parliament recognises the changing demographics of Scotland and the increasing financial pressures on services providing care for older people; recognises the need to shiftthe balance of care; notes that independent and local authority-run care homes in Scotland are regulated by the Care Commission in accordance with standards set by ministers, and further recognises the opportunity through the Reshaping Care programme public engagement process to examine existing models of provision and funding across all care sectors and care settings to ensure that value for money is coupled with continuing high standards of care.
2. Prescription Charges: Derek Brownlee moved S3M-7423—That the Parliament notes the financial pressures on the NHS and that the Independent Budget Review established by the Scottish Government has estimated that the full abolition of prescription charges would remove a further £25 million of income each year from the NHS and accordingly calls on the Scottish Government to reconsider its position on prescription charges.
Nicola Sturgeon moved amendment S3M-7423.1 to motion S3M-7423—
Leave out from “notes” to end and insert—
“recognises that the abolition of prescription charges will benefit all those patients with long-term conditions and the 600,000 people on low incomes who are not entitled to exemption and further recognises that total abolition is in the best tradition of the NHS and that poor people and sick people should not be made to pay the cost of the economic and financial situation that Scotland faces.”
Jackie Baillie moved amendment S3M-7423.1.1 to amendment S3M-7423.1—
Insert at end—
“, but regrets that free prescriptions for cancer patients in Scotland were not implemented by April 2009 in line with England.”
Ross Finnie moved amendment S3M-7423.2 to motion S3M-7423—
Insert at end—
“, prescribing practice, medicines management, adverse reactions to medicine and procurement and purchasing of drugs.”
After debate, amendment S3M-7423.1.1 was agreed to ((DT) by division: For 72, Against 45, Abstentions 2).
Amendment S3M-7423.1, as amended, was agreed to ((DT) by division: For 89, Against 31, Abstentions 0). As a result, amendment S3M-7423.2 was pre-empted.
The motion, as amended, was then agreed to ((DT) by division: For 89, Against 31, Abstentions 0).
Accordingly, the Parliament resolved—That the Parliament recognises that the abolition of prescription charges will benefit all those patients with long-term conditions and the 600,000 people on low incomes who are not entitled to exemption and further recognises that total abolition is in the best tradition of the NHS and that poor people and sick people should not be made to pay the cost of the economic and financial situation that Scotland faces but regrets that free prescriptions for cancer patients in Scotland were not implemented by April 2009 in line with England.
3. General Question Time: Questions were answered by Cabinet Secretaries and Ministers.
4. First Minister’s Question Time: Questions were answered by the First Minister (Alex Salmond).
5. Themed Question Time: Questions on Finance and Sustainable Growth were answered by the Cabinet Secretary and Ministers.
6. AV Referendum and 2011 Scottish Parliament Election Clash: The Minister for Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism (Jim Mather) moved S3M-7427—That the Parliament notes with real concern the UK Government's intention to hold a referendum on voting reform for UK Parliament elections on the same day as elections to the Scottish Parliament and other devolved institutions in May 2011; regrets the UK Government's failure to consult the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliament on this matter, and calls on the UK Government to work with the Scottish Government to agree a new date that will avoid a clash with elections to this parliament.
David McLetchie moved amendment S3M-7427.2 to motion S3M-7427—
Leave out from first “with” to end and insert—
“that holding a referendum on voting reform for UK Parliament elections on the same day as elections to the Scottish Parliament and other devolved institutions in May 2011 will save the taxpayer £17 million and commends Her Majesty’s Government for its wise stewardship of public finances in this respect.”
After debate, the amendment was disagreed to ((DT) by division: For 30, Against 89, Abstentions 1).
Mike Rumbles moved amendment S3M-7427.1 to motion S3M-7427—
Leave out from “notes” to end and insert—
“believes that the people of Scotland are clever enough to manage to vote in a Scottish Parliament election and the AV Referendum on the same day”.
After debate, the amendment was disagreed to ((DT) by division: For 30, Against 89, Abstentions 1).
The motion was then agreed to ((DT) by division: For 90, Against 30, Abstentions 0).
7. Decision Time: The Parliament took decisions on items 1, 2 and 6 as noted above.
8. Increasing Access to Self-monitoring and Self-management of Anticoagulation Therapy: The Parliament debated S3M-6654 in the name of Nanette Milne—That the Parliament notes that the levels of self-monitoring and self-management in Scotland for anticoagulation therapy are considerably lower than in England and the rest of western Europe; notes that the Royal Hospital for Sick Children (Yorkhill) in Glasgow, which looks after all young people on anticoagulation therapy, has achieved considerable success with the training of young people to self-monitor and self-manage their anticoagulation therapy but that there is no support for them when they move to adult clinics; notes that authoritative studies confirm the cost-effectiveness of self-monitoring and self-management; further notes the Cochrane Review meta-analysis confirming the clinical benefits and outcomes of self-monitoring and self-management; challenges the view of some NHS boards and clinicians that anticoagulation monitoring and management require to be undertaken in secondary care; points to what it considers to be the costly and time-consuming practice of bringing patients from outlying areas to hospitals rather than manage them in primary care; reminds the Scottish Government that its policy document, Better Health, Better Care, states that “patients living with long-term medical conditions and their carers should have the information and support that they need to manage their condition on a day-to-day basis, in the knowledge that the NHS is there for them when they need it”, and would welcome encouragement being given to NHS boards to increase access to self-monitoring and self-management of anticoagulation therapy for those patients in north east Scotland and the rest of the country who, with the endorsement of their clinicians, wish to do so.
The meeting closed at 5.36 pm.
P E Grice
Clerk of the Parliament
18 November 2010
Appendix
(Note: this Appendix does not form part of the Minutes)
Other Documents
The following documents were laid before the Parliament on 18 November 2010 and are not subject to any Parliamentary procedure––
Architecture & Design Scotland Annual Report and Accounts 2009/10 (SG/2010/226)––
Scottish Arts Council Group Annual Report and Accounts for the year to 31 March 2010 (SG/2010/243)––
Scottish Screen Annual Report and Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended 31st March 2010 (SG/2010/245)––
Scottish Screen (Enterprises) Limited Report and Financial Statements 31 March 2010 (SG/2010/244)––
laid under section 22(5) of the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000
Low Carbon Scotland: The Draft Report on Proposals and Policies & Technical Appendix (SG/2010/255)
laid under section 35(2) of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009
Note: The Low Carbon Scotland: the Draft Report on Proposals and Policies & Technical Appendix (SG/2010/251) which was laid before the Parliament on 17 November 2010, has been withdrawn.
Committee Reports
The following report was published on 18 November 2010
End of Life Assistance (Scotland) Bill Committee, 1st Report, 2010 (Session 3): Stage 1 Report on the End of Life Assistance (Scotland) Bill (SP Paper 523)