Chamber and committees

I have a quick question about a patient’s journey through the whole system. Would that be supported by giving everyone access to the clinical portal? In that respect, I am also thinking about social prescribing. Could referrals to, for example, men’s sheds or the third sector be part of the data processing, too?

It is important not to imply that there is a deficit in public understanding and knowledge. We need to look at the positives. Because of the pandemic, the public are probably extremely well educated about clinical vulnerabilities and so on.

What learning will we take forward from what has been initiated in data collection during the pandemic, and how will we do that?

Does Ed Humpherson want to come in on that?

I have a quick supplementary about Scottish Government policy versus local delivery. Are there any barriers in health boards, IJBs, local authorities or even the third sector that might hinder the successful implementation of the Scottish Government’s programmes? How is the digital capability being kept up to support people whose first language is not English?

The information that is available to the public is fabulous, and I have been using the Public Health Scotland dashboard to better inform myself. I am interested in what we can do digitally to support people’s health literacy if we are going to encourage people to take better care of themselves outside of the pandemic. How do we support the development of a more health-conscious public?

A number of witnesses have mentioned the once-for-Scotland approach. That seems to fit some areas, whereas other areas need a tailored approach. The Datix Cloud IQ system is a cloud-based reporting mechanism for recording adverse events and safety concerns and for looking at quality assurance and the improvement of care. Would that be a “Once for Scotland” approach, whereas the ALISS approach seems to involve directing people to, for example, specific social prescribing in their health board or local authority area?

I have a quick supplementary question. There has been a lot of work done on tackling stigma; it is now less stigmatising for a person to say that they have anxiety or a mental health disorder. Has that contributed to the challenges? Has the fact that more people are coming out and saying that they have struggles affected the ability to tackle the issue? The Government has done a lot of work on support for mental health in that way.

Thanks, convener—it is very short.

I believe that cognisance will be taken of an approach dealing with rural areas such as Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders in my South Scotland region. Am I right in thinking that? This can be a yes-or-no answer.

I know that we have asked our NHS and social care staff to work through these unprecedented times, often in unfamiliar settings, and that many have been asked to learn new skills and to work in new roles and in unfamiliar teams, for instance. Are we tracking how staff might be retained so that we can address all of that and not lose staff because of poor mental health?

As a registered nurse, I have been participating in the vaccination programme. Colleagues have told me about how they have been coping or not coping with their mental health. I know that a lot of work has been done, for example through the national wellbeing hub and programmes such as clear your head, to support staff in healthcare and social care. How are we monitoring and evaluating the way in which people engage with those programmes?