Report to the People
Flu Facts
Ah, the beginning of another Parliamentary session.
A fresh round of issues to debate, new bills to pass and questions to ask. Rejuvenated and enthused MSPs buzzing around, wishing each other a happy New Year, sharing all the wonderful ideas they had over the holidays and handing in copies of their Christmas thank you letters to the Register of Members’ Interests. (Well you can’t be too careful with these things.)
My joy at returning to represent the interests of Greenock and Inverclyde was, however, dampened somewhat by falling victim, in common with what feels like half the country, to the malevolent flu virus.
What makes it worse, however, is that it all seems to be my fault.
As a Labour MSP, along with my party colleagues and the Executive, I have apparently brought about the outbreak and frustrated the NHS in its efforts to combat its spread. And, as MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, it seems that, thanks to the Tall Ships, it was me who allowed this new flu strain into the country.
So, basically, I’m not getting any sympathy.
Not that I want any, though. What I want, by way of assisting my recuperation, is an opportunity to address some of the accusations which have been levelled against me and the Executive in recent days.
I do not think that even my most vehement opponent can hold me responsible for a flu bug on a boat. I do feel, however, that I must defend the Executive’s NHS record and its response in this case.
Let’s look at the facts. Despite what are undoubtedly exceptional pressures, the NHS is well prepared and managing to cope. Staff in the health service have, yet again, gone beyond the call of duty, some of them working when ill themselves to help care for others.
By contingency planning, the Scottish Executive has invested £2 million to provide free flu vaccinations for vulnerable groups. There are additional wards, more beds, more nursing home places, more intensive care space and more high dependency capacity.
We are delivering over £300 million in new money for the NHS in Scotland this year alone and will invest an extra £1.8 billion in Scotland by 2002 – a record investment.
Effective strategy and efficient investment are crucial to delivering a stable Scottish NHS. Indeed, the NHS is far better prepared to absorb such shocks today than it ever has been.
Perhaps the whole idea of denouncing politicians is on the wane. Even my political opponents, whose raison d’être is to blame the government for everything, concede we are not at fault. In last Tuesday’s Daily Mirror, Roseanna Cunningham MSP stated:
"What is wrong with us? We eat badly, take little exercise and run our bodies into the ground. How do we turn that around? For once it isn’t any good blaming the politicians … Hardly a surprise then that we fall prey to any passing cold and flu viruses."
I am glad that there is at least one subject on which Roseanna and I can agree. This is not a calamity created by politicians. It is a natural, albeit unpleasant, natural phenomenon. It is not a crisis to be manufactured. It is a situation to be managed.
Let’s make no mistake. Were it not for the action taken by the Government and Executive, the health service would be a damn sight worse off.
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