Part of the debate – in the Scottish Parliament at on 19 November 2014.
Jim Hume
Liberal Democrat
The Cabinet secretary should be aware of the work that Borders Deaf and Hard of Hearing Network does with NHS Borders to use SMS texting for deaf and hard of hearing patients when they make and cancel appointments with doctors and dentists. It is to the credit of Jean Proudfoot and her team at Borders Deaf and Hard of Hearing Network in Galashiels that a pilot scheme has been initiated in the Borders to enable mobile texting to be used so that hearing-impaired people can easily change and cancel audiology appointments.
Will the cabinet secretary join me in congratulating Jean Proudfoot and her team on progressing that project? Will he commend the pilot to other health boards, to ensure that all deaf and hard of hearing patients in Scotland can benefit from such modest but effective steps to look after vulnerable patients?
The cabinet is the group of twenty or so (and no more than 22) senior government ministers who are responsible for running the departments of state and deciding government policy.
It is chaired by the prime minister.
The cabinet is bound by collective responsibility, which means that all its members must abide by and defend the decisions it takes, despite any private doubts that they might have.
Cabinet ministers are appointed by the prime minister and chosen from MPs or peers of the governing party.
However, during periods of national emergency, or when no single party gains a large enough majority to govern alone, coalition governments have been formed with cabinets containing members from more than one political party.
War cabinets have sometimes been formed with a much smaller membership than the full cabinet.
From time to time the prime minister will reorganise the cabinet in order to bring in new members, or to move existing members around. This reorganisation is known as a cabinet re-shuffle.
The cabinet normally meets once a week in the cabinet room at Downing Street.
