Taking Scotland Forward: Health

Part of the debate – in the Scottish Parliament at on 7 June 2016.

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Photo of Anas Sarwar Anas Sarwar Labour

My first job was in the NHS, so it is with great pride that I rise to speak in this debate as Labour’s shadow cabinet secretary for health. I congratulate Shona Robison on her reappointment as cabinet secretary and I look forward to working constructively with her and her colleagues in the health team.

I believe that there will be many areas of common ground where Labour and the other parties in the chamber can work together; I believe that a majority of members across the chamber want to be bold in how we tackle Scotland’s health challenges. The question is whether we have the will. We have an opportunity today to demonstrate consensus and send a message to cancer patients and the wider Scottish public that this Parliament will be bold, will act and will help to deliver transformative change.

I have listened to the cabinet secretary’s comments about a review; of course Labour will engage in that process but a review cannot be a way of avoiding failures with missed targets. Another question that patients will ask is how long they will have to wait for the outcomes of any such review. If the review is such a fundamental part of today’s debate, why was it not included in the motion? I suggest that our amendment was in place first and the review came afterwards.

I do not think that the review will be of any comfort to a cancer patient who is waiting to hear about a possible cancer diagnosis, so I hope that the minister will reconsider how the SNP will vote on our amendment because I believe that we can find consensus on this issue. I will say, respectfully: if we cannot have a target on cancer, what should we have an NHS target on?