Chamber and committees

I will be quick because a lot of information has been covered already. In our previous evidence session, the witnesses talked a lot about whole-system approaches to the budget. We know that we need to tackle poverty and health inequalities and the impact of housing on those—there are loads of umbrellas that are needed to support the improvement of the health of the people of Scotland. I am interested in public health and preventative approaches. I am interested in the ability to have a good healthy diet, for example. I am interested in the work of Henry Dimbleby and Chris van Tulleken, as well as Professor Pekka Puska’s work to improve diet to reduce cardiovascular disease. What work is being done to learn from other researchers who are not even in Scotland, to see how we can budget better for public health measures?

The Institute for Fiscal Studies has published an interesting report on short-term, medium-term and long-term planning. It focuses on the fact that the Scottish Government’s health budget depends on Barnett consequentials, so it is determined by the UK Government. If we do not know what is coming from the UK Government, does that pose challenges in determining what needs to be incorporated into preventative health planning or acute planning?

Good morning. I am interested in the co-design process. I know that regional events on that took place over the summer, at which you focused on rural as well as urban issues. For example, in my area such events were held in Stranraer and Hawick. I would be interested to hear a little more information about the co-design process and whether it was different from other processes that had taken place previously.

I have a quick supplementary question. Since minimum unit pricing was introduced, we have also had a pandemic. We have heard that, during the pandemic and during lockdown, there were changes in people’s consumption of alcohol. Some folk who drank a lot drank even more, and some folk who drank less drank even less. What are your thoughts on how the pandemic has affected alcohol consumption? Has that skewed any of the minimum unit pricing information that has been brought forward?

I have a final quick question. You talk about empowering people. Over the past few years, I have heard people say that they want to work with people to support their care, not to do stuff to them. Are we making progress on the language in relation to working with people rather than doing stuff to them?

My question is not a criticism; I am just raising the fact that there is comprehensive information out there. There are easy-read documents for people, and the videos that you referred to are another great way for folk to get information—they can watch the videos on their phones or whatever. My point is that a lot of work has been done over the summer and it would be good for people to be able to see that.

I am happy for you to do that.

We now have a minister who has a combined portfolio that includes drugs and alcohol, and minimum unit pricing is not the only action that is being taken as a public health approach. You mentioned the Non-Communicable Disease Alliance. I took part in creating its report regarding NCDs.

I am interested in the fact that we are taking a step back to involve people right at the beginning. Involving people with a wide range of experience does seem to be valuable.

We have heard about the support that is required right across the social care spectrum. Here I should probably remind everyone that I am a registered nurse. Over the summer, I spent time visiting the social care delivery team at Stewartry Care in Castle Douglas. Its work is varied and the people there are skilled and competent in delivering care for people in their own homes.

I am keen to ensure that people understand what the co-design process is. They might just assume that co-design and co-production are the same thing, but they are not. Did that point about there being co-design and not co-production come out in the consultation process?

There is a lot of information from the six reports on the Government’s website, and they are available in an accessible format. The reports are pretty comprehensive. I will probably need to read them in more detail, but I appreciate that.