Chamber and committees

How can the workings between patients and receptionists be improved? All four receptionists in a practice in my constituency have resigned because of a lack of support from GPs and the level of abuse from the public; the practice will have no receptionists by the end of the month. How can we support receptionists and how can we improve the patients’ interactions with them?

Thank you, convener. To what extent are primary health care practitioners other than GPs able to promote prevention and self-management? Is a greater focus needed on prevention? Perhaps we can hear from Clare Morrison first.

Good morning to the panel members. Does the primary care system enable a holistic and preventive approach to keeping people well?

To what extent do the public recognise the increasingly complex role of GP receptionists?

I can say, as somebody who does a lot of litter picks, that plastic bottles are probably the most common thing that we pick up from trees and bushes around Kirkcaldy and the surrounding areas. They are really bad for the environment, so I am extremely glad that you have brought your petition to the committee.

I am so impressed by what you have done, especially given your age. Usually, boys your age are looking to get money from tooth fairies and things like that, rather than bringing petitions to the Parliament, so well done—you have done really well.

Your submission says that you are looking for protection for historic native woodlands larger than 0.5 hectares. Is there a lack of the data and information that would help you to achieve that? How would that help the Scottish Government or any other authority to take care of woods?

You have said that the 1981 act needs to be updated. The new national planning framework is out for consultation. Have you been able to see that? Have you fed into that process as a way of changing regulation?

I thank the 12 local authorities that responded to our call for evidence. However, out of 32 local authorities, that is a pretty poor response; all the local authorities have licensing boards in place.

I support the call for an evidence session before the committee. I would also like to write to the Scottish Government to highlight the 20 per cent decrease in the number of taxi drivers to see what the Government would be able to do. Will it monitor the situation and see what it can do to encourage people back into the taxi business?

The Scottish Government highlights in its submission that it would lose £552 million to invest in public services. It says that it does not support what the petition calls for, so I do not think that there is anywhere for the committee to take the matter. I am happy to close the petition under rule 15.7 of standing orders.

Considering the Scottish Government’s statement in its submission that it will do more research in the area, I wonder whether we should close the petition under rule 15.7 of standing orders. In doing so, however, we could consider how the petitioner could feed into the research that the Scottish Government is going to do.