Improving health ‘a top priority’ for Scottish Government

Improving Scotland’s health and social care will remain a top Government priority, Health Secretary Shona Robison will tell Holyrood today.

Ahead of opening the first health debate of the new Scottish Parliament, Ms Robison said that the Government was committed to protecting a publicly funded and operated NHS, which would remain free at the point need for everyone.

Ms Robison said: “The NHS is this country’s most cherished public service and must always remain free at the point of need, in public hands. This Government has a strong track record of delivering faster, safer and more effective care, and my plan is to build on the progress we have achieved to date.

“This afternoon, I will set out how this Government intends to take forward the evolution of our health and social care services so that they continue to meet the rising demand and changing needs of our population.

“This includes giving primary, social care and mental health services an increasing share of the NHS budget each year to ensure that as many people as possible can lead fulfilling, independent lives.

“We’ll also deliver our commitment to giving frontline health services significant increases in funding every year, with health resource spending planned to increase by £500 million above inflation by the end of this Parliament.

“We will also continue to maintain our focus on prevention, working across Government to address deep-rooted health inequalities which put more pressure on our NHS.

“I look forward to working in partnership with our staff, stakeholders, opposition politicians and the public to build a consensus on the future direction of our health and care services over this next parliamentary session.”

Cancer patients satisfied with care

The first ever Scottish cancer patient experience survey has shown that the majority of patients are happy with their NHS care and treatment, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said yesterday.

The survey of almost 5000 cancer patients shows 94% of patients rate their care positively.

It also shows 87% of patients felt they were always treated with dignity and respect by nurses and doctors.

The results will help inform a range of actions being taken forward under the Scottish Government’s cancer strategy, backed up with £100 million of investment.

The cancer strategy includes more than 50 actions to improve prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment and after care for those with cancer. This includes £9 million over the next five years to ensure better support for people with cancer and their families, such as link workers and initiatives like Macmillan’s Improving the Cancer Journey.

The strategy will ensure every cancer patient has a treatment summary which sets out information about follow up care as well as contact information about next steps agreed with them.

The First Minister and Health Secretary Shona Robison visited the Macmillan Cancer Support Centre at Edinburgh’s Western General Hospital to speak to patients about the survey.

The First Minister said: “It is heartening to know that in the majority of cases, patients are satisfied with the care they receive.

“Being diagnosed with cancer can be very traumatic for individuals and their families and it is vital we provide the best possible care and support.

“We know there is more to be done and that’s why earlier this year we announced our £100 million cancer strategy, which makes clear the importance of listening to what people with cancer are saying about what matters to them, and acting on what they tell us.

“The results of this survey is the first step in this process and will support us in making improvements in cancer care across Scotland.

“We will be working with NHS and Social Care through NHS and integration joint boards as well as stakeholders and people with cancer to ensure support for cancer patients at every stage of their treatment is embedded in every day service delivery.”

Commissioned by the Scottish Government and Macmillan Cancer Support, the survey aimed to find out how patients felt about the care and support they received as they moved through the cancer care system.

Results showed:

• 94% rated their care positively (giving an overall rating of seven out of 10 or above)
• 87% felt they were always treated with dignity and respect by nurses and doctors
• 86% felt they were told they had cancer in a sensitive manner
• 84% had access to a clinical nurse specialist

The survey also found areas where improvements could be made, particularly around helping patients access support for their wider emotional, financial and practical needs.

Ms Robison said: “As we learn from the experiences of those living with and beyond cancer it is clear that more can be done to improve the quality of care available after treatment.

“It is essential that people with cancer know about their treatment and are able to access to information, advice and support tailored to their individual needs.

“Our cancer strategy makes clear the importance of ensuring that on-going wellbeing needs are addressed at the same time as health needs.

“Today is also international ‘What Matters to You Day’ where people working in hospitals and care settings are asking what matters to the people they care. Through this, and initiatives such as the cancer patient experience survey, we can work to understand what really matters to people, improving the experience, quality and effectiveness of care

“These results give us a sound platform to work from and we look forward to working with Macmillan Cancer Support and NHS health boards in implementing the Cancer Strategy over the next few years.”

Macmillan’s head in Scotland, Janice Preston, said: “This survey shows that without a doubt, offering patients a holistic needs assessment and care plan is vitally important in ensuring they have a good experience of care.

“The gulf in the patient experience had by those who had a care plan compared to those who didn’t is truly startling, particularly when it comes to accessing emotional, practical and financial support.

“We look forward to working closely with the Scottish Government to make sure every cancer patient in the country is offered this as soon as possible”.