Chamber and committees

When Professor Lindsay Thomson came to the committee, I asked her about the challenge of overweight and increased body mass index in patients and how to support them to have a healthier weight. Professor Thomson’s said that the on-site hospital shop had made a decision to have 80 per cent healthy foods and 40 per cent unhealthy foods, whereas other places were doing 50:50. That was a goal. At the moment, I am reading about ultra-high processed foods in a book by Chris van Tulleken, in which he talks about the correlation between UHP foods and obesity. How do you support people when activity might not be easy to achieve and groceries are brought in by family members? That issue was highlighted the last time a state hospital representative was here.

I will ask one final wee quick question. If someone is transferred to the state hospital and is then relocated to another less secure facility, do you measure that as part of performance measurement? Is that part of tracking patients’ movements?

Okay. I will ask another wee question. We have asked other boards how they will achieve net zero. I am interested to hear what the state hospital is doing to take forward net zero activities.

Yes. I assume that, once someone is admitted to the state hospital, there is the potential for them to be transferred to a less secure facility, as part of their progress. Is that monitored?

We know that, when we live and work in the same communities, we learn from each other. What specific things could be implemented to tackle racism in sport, whether that is related to religion or to the fact that some people do not understand certain cultures?

I am not sure whether Gordon Jamieson wants to come in. I am interested in what I read in the recovery plan about the mobile operating theatre that was introduced in Orkney and Shetland. I think that the Scottish Government invested £2.3 million to enable 350 elective surgeries to go ahead. Has that been beneficial in addressing elective surgeries?

Okay. Thanks.

Shetland, Orkney and the Western Isles are remote and rural. I am thinking about Stranraer in the south-west of Scotland, which is pretty rural and remote from the rest of NHS Dumfries and Galloway—its headquarters and everything. Is one of the strengths of remote and rural areas that it is not just about everybody owning areas as if they are their wee fiefdom; rather, it is about partnership working?

You spoke about the environment and the ability to participate without others watching. There is a women-only gym in Dumfries, for example—I hear amazing music when I walk past with my dogs. Today, we are talking about how we encourage women and girls to participate in sport. Part of that is about recognising the need to be able to participate in a safe place, without fear of being judged or someone criticising you for wearing a hijab for instance. We know that it is easier to buy sports hijabs now. Is getting the rock music on and having women-only gyms part of how we make progress towards greater awareness and acceptance of women from ethnic minorities participating in sport?

That is interesting. On Covid recovery, do you agree that it will not be an overnight fix and that it will take a long time? I fully endorse supporting the mental health of all the workforce—that is critical—but it must be part of a long-term plan to address Covid recovery. Is that correct?