Chamber and committees

I will go directly to the communication theme. I am looking at the NSS website and the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde website. The NSS website is quite clear on the pathway and what the process would be, but the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde website is a bit clunky for finding the information that people need—that is obviously not something that you can control, Dr Lamont.

I am interested in how women are communicated with, from the start of the process through to referral and as the process goes on. Is there open dialogue and does it happen by contact with the direct clinical nurse specialist, for instance? What is the process for communicating to keep people feeling that they are well informed?

The Scottish Government published a Covid recovery document—the “NHS recovery plan 2021-2026”—in August 2021. How is that plan working out for the different boards and would you change anything in it after implementing some of its recommendations?

It is just a quick question. What has been learned from the Sturrock review, which has been taken forward in other NHS boards?

How are women advised about waiting times, for instance, or what they should expect? Do you have feedback around the processes? Is the communication done electronically or by letter or telephone call? How do we ensure that each individual feels that their preferred way of communicating is what is used?

I am interested in going right back to the beginning, knowing what we now know about complications caused by mesh implanted for stress urinary incontinence. As a nurse who worked in the operating theatre, I participated in anterior and posterior pelvic floor repair operations. However, before we even go there, is there work being done to encourage continence nurses, physios, midwives, and so on, to talk about things such as pelvic floor exercises? That advice would be free. Are we measuring whether that work, which might mitigate the need for any surgical intervention in the first place, is happening?

One of my former colleagues teaches Pilates, and she also does pelvic floor exercises as part of that, to destigmatise the issue. She sees young women in schools and is breaking down the barriers of conversation. Do you support taking education out to schools before young women start having experiences that might lead to urinary incontinence?

Professor Archibald, you talked about prevention and keeping folk out of hospital. I am the convener of the cross-party group in the Scottish Parliament on lung health. We talk about keeping fit, healthy and out of hospital people who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It is the same for asthma. Are you undertaking such work as well?

I will be very brief, convener.

Earlier, Louise Thornton said that we are on a journey to improve coverage of sport. I agree with Catherine Houlihan that it is not about women doing women’s sport and men doing men’s sport, but is about covering sport and supporting sport and physical activity for folk to be healthier, too.

The six nations women’s rugby tournament is on now. It does not say that Scottish rugby women or Scottish rugby men are playing; it is just Scottish rugby. Is that a way to convey support for women in sport? Should we take gender out and just talk about Scottish rugby, for example, no matter which six nations tournament is going on, to demonstrate our support for women in sport?

I want to pick up on that. I am a Stranraer lass and I now live in Dumfries. ITV Border is our go-to channel for curling and for the Solway Sharks Ladies ice hockey team. I am interested in whether you track the data that Catherine Salmond talked about, regarding digital access online. You are right that the area is different; rugby is just massive in Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders, for women and men, and ice hockey and curling are also big. Do you monitor or track what people are watching on the telly?

Picking up on Tess White’s point, I see women pundits on the telly who were previously professional footballers or rugby players. Is there an opportunity for people who have played sport—professionally or otherwise—to enter a career in journalism? How would they go about doing so? Would they need to have a degree or qualification? If so, would that be at college, university or postgraduate stage? What opportunities do women who have retired from professional sport have to become journalists?

I am looking first at Margaret Mary Murray, because she is nodding.