S6M-01302: Taking Action on the NHS and Ambulance Crisis

The motion

That the Parliament thanks the Scottish Ambulance Service paramedics, technicians, call handlers and other frontline workers who are under significant stress as they cope with the current pressures on the health service; regrets the failure of the Scottish Government to address the underlying and systematic problems facing both the ambulance service and the wider health and social care service that predate the COVID-19 pandemic; welcomes the support of the British Army in helping alleviate the current pressures on NHS workers and patients; recommends that the Scottish Government adopt a 30-minute maximum turnaround time for ambulances from arrival at hospital, which will release paramedics to answer other calls, and protect staff welfare and wellbeing by reducing shift over-runs and guarding rest periods, and further calls on the Scottish Government to increase capacity in the health service ahead of winter by calling on recently retired staff to return temporarily and establishing temporary wards and field hospitals to ease the pressure on Accident and Emergency departments and manage the clinical backlog.

What MSPs voted on: the motion as amended

Labour’s motion was rewritten by an SNP amendment (S6M-01302.3) before this vote. A vote ‘for’ was a vote for the SNP’s wording.

That the Parliament thanks the Scottish Ambulance Service paramedics, technicians, call handlers and other frontline workers who are under significant stress as they cope with the current pressures on the health service;

136 words removed by S6M-01302.3

regrets the failure of the Scottish Government to address the underlying and systematic problems facing both the ambulance service and the wider health and social care service that predate the COVID-19 pandemic; welcomes the support of the British Army in helping alleviate the current pressures on NHS workers and patients; recommends that the Scottish Government adopt a 30-minute maximum turnaround time for ambulances from arrival at hospital, which will release paramedics to answer other calls, and protect staff welfare and wellbeing by reducing shift over-runs and guarding rest periods, and further calls on the Scottish Government to increase capacity in the health service ahead of winter by calling on recently retired staff to return temporarily and establishing temporary wards and field hospitals to ease the pressure on Accident and Emergency departments and manage the clinical backlog.

S6M-01302.3 SNP recognises that excessively long waits for an ambulance can lead to worse outcomes for patients, and that the Scottish Government and Scottish Ambulance Service have apologised to people who have experienced long waits; notes that the Scottish Government has previously invested an additional £20 million to increase staff capacity in the ambulance service by almost 300; welcomes that an extra £20 million is now being invested to increase capacity further, including funding military personnel, recruiting additional Hospital Ambulance Liaison Officers, working with NHS boards to create Temporary Admission Wards and aiming to recruit 100 paramedic students to help alleviate the current pressures on ambulance staff, NHS workers and patients; further notes that the steps outlined by the health secretary will help alleviate pressure on the service in the immediate term and looking ahead to the winter; commends military personnel and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, which are providing driving support to the ambulance service in order to free up paramedic and technician time; supports the additional investment of £500,000 to improve ambulance service staff welfare, and the ongoing discussions between the board and trade unions to develop a rest break action plan and put it in place as quickly as possible.

Final wording as read into the Official Report at Decision Time. The marked changes are worked out by this site from the amendment texts and match that wording.

Amendments

S6M-01302.3 SNP Humza Yousaf Agreed vote, 68–53
S6M-01302.2 Conservative Sandesh Gulhane Defeated vote, 53–67
S6M-01302.1 Liberal Democrat Alex Cole-Hamilton Not put to a vote (worked out by this site: never called at Decision Time: not selected or not moved)

Signatures by party

2 MSPs besides the lodger · 0 from other parties

Lab 2

Party on the day each MSP signed. Signing a motion is voluntary and not whipped. Who signs whose motions

Vote

1 division

22 Sep 2021
Taking Action on the NHS and Ambulance Crisis
S6M-01302as amended by SNP
Carried
70 for, 51 against

Amendments

3

S6M-01302.1

Taking Action on the NHS and Ambulance Crisis
Alex Cole-Hamilton LD Lodged 21 Sep 2021

No recorded vote
S6M-01302.2

Taking Action on the NHS and Ambulance Crisis
Sandesh Gulhane Con Lodged 21 Sep 2021

Defeated
53 for, 67 against
S6M-01302.3

Taking Action on the NHS and Ambulance Crisis
Humza Yousaf SNP Lodged 21 Sep 2021

Carried
68 for, 53 against

Supporters

2 MSPs

Lab 2

Show all 2 supporters by party

Lab 2

Party shown is each supporter’s party when the motion was published.

In the Official Report

5 contributions mention S6M-01302

22 Sep 2021

Scottish Ambulance Service
Liam McArthur LD Meeting of the Parliament

The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-01302, in the name of Jackie Baillie, on taking action on the national health service and ambulance crisis. I invite members who want to participate in the debate to press their request-t…
22 Sep 2021

Decision Time
Alison Johnstone Meeting of the Parliament

The next question is, that amendment S6M-01302.3, in the name of Humza Yousaf, which seeks to amend motion S6M-01302, in the name of Jackie Baillie, on taking action on the national health service and ambulance crisis, be agreed to. Are we…
22 Sep 2021

Decision Time
Alison Johnstone Meeting of the Parliament

The next question is, that amendment S6M-01302.2, in the name of Sandesh Gulhane, which seeks to amend motion S6M-01302, in the name of Jackie Baillie, be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No.
22 Sep 2021

Decision Time
Alison Johnstone Meeting of the Parliament

The next question is, that motion S6M-01302, in the name of Jackie Baillie, on taking action on the NHS and ambulance crisis, as amended, be agreed to. Are we agreed? Members: No.
22 Sep 2021

Decision Time
Alison Johnstone Meeting of the Parliament

The result of the division on motion S6M-01302, in the name of Jackie Baillie, on taking action on the NHS and ambulance crisis, as amended, is: For 70, Against 51, Abstentions 0. Motion, as amended, agreed to, That the Parliament thanks t…