Meeting of the Parliament 18 June 2013 : Tuesday, June 18, 2013
The Minister for Public Health (Michael Matheson) I congratulate James Kelly, as other members have done, on securing time for this important debate on how we can provide support to patients and carers of those who have Parkinson’s disease and how we can continue to improve the way in which we deliver that care and support, in particular within the...
Meeting of the Parliament 18 June 2013 : Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Michael Matheson I can give Margo MacDonald an exclusive revelation: there is no pecking order. We do not have a hierarchy of conditions, or decide that one is more important than another. We deal with issues on their merits, although there are some conditions where there is a greater demand for services, which I am...
Meeting of the Parliament 18 June 2013 : Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Michael Matheson I will skip past Margo’s request for massage.
It is important that we consider the health and wellbeing of carers as well, and provide them with the support that they need. Margo MacDonald is correct. Some of the work of the Long-term Conditions Alliance is about looking at what we can d...
Meeting of the Parliament 12 June 2013 : Wednesday, June 12, 2013
The Minister for Public Health (Michael Matheson) Studies have shown that the family nurse partnership programme has an impact not only on parents’ confidence in their parenting ability by developing their self-efficacy but on the whole family’s long-term wellbeing. That is demonstrated by outcomes such as reduced smoking in pregnancy, reduced acci...
Meeting of the Parliament 12 June 2013 : Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Michael Matheson Family nurse partnerships have been implemented by seven of our territorial boards including NHS Lothian, NHS Tayside, NHS Fife, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, NHS Highland and NHS Ayrshire and Arran, and we will see some delivery from NHS Lanarkshire by early this summer. The other seven territoria...
Meeting of the Parliament 12 June 2013 : Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Michael Matheson It is important that health boards take forward family nurse partnerships in a way that allows them to continue to provide their other broad services for children. It is worth bearing in mind that the family nurse partnership is a licensed programme and that all family nurses have to undertake a pro...
Meeting of the Parliament 12 June 2013 : Wednesday, June 12, 2013
The Minister for Public Health (Michael Matheson) We welcome the research report. It further highlights a truth that is sadly only too evident in communities the length and breadth of Scotland: alcohol misuse does not only impact on the individual but impacts negatively on the people around them. We know that alcohol misuse impacts on children livi...
Meeting of the Parliament 12 June 2013 : Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Michael Matheson Over a number of years now, the Scottish Government has taken bold action to address our alcohol problem in Scotland. Those important measures include minimum pricing for alcohol, which attracted a large degree of support from across the chamber, although not, unfortunately, from the Labour Party. W...
Meeting of the Parliament 12 June 2013 : Wednesday, June 12, 2013
The Minister for Public Health (Michael Matheson) Through delivering the actions in our comprehensive heart disease action plan, we are seeing significant improvements in outcomes for people with heart disease. The plan focuses not just on providing the best possible hospital care, but on supporting people’s longer-term recovery in their communitie...
Meeting of the Parliament 12 June 2013 : Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Michael Matheson As the member is aware, many of our health boards provide cardiac rehabilitation for patients who, following a cardiac episode, can benefit from it. Many health boards work in partnership with a range of third sector organisations to deliver that type of programme to patients in a controlled way in ...