Continued Petitions

PE1819, which has been lodged by Rachel Taylor, calls on the Government to introduce a bursary for paramedic students in Scotland.

In her submission, the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport states:

“The Scottish Government agrees that the issue of financial support for students undertaking a degree in paramedic science is worth further consideration”,

and reiterates that that it will form part of the planned allied health professions education review.

The cabinet secretary also states that the Government is “happy to engage” with the petitioner and her fellow campaigners, highlighting that the Minister for Health, Sport and Wellbeing has recently accepted an invitation to meet the campaign group.

In her response, the petitioner acknowledges the review, but explains that it might take some time and that student paramedics require financial support now. She believes that without increased support for student paramedics, the BSc paramedic science course will be accessible only to those who can support themselves.

Do members have any comments or suggestions for action? I think that at one point in her written evidence the cabinet secretary says that competition for places is very high. However, people with financial problems might not even be able to be part of that and are not getting the chance to compete—they are being excluded from the competition because of their financial situation.

I recall hearing effective evidence in our evidence-taking session a couple of months ago. I am encouraged that the cabinet secretary has committed to engage with the petitioner and that work is being done around the education review for the allied health professions. On that basis, we might want to think about closing the petition. However, I would want reassurances from the Government that it understands that access, justice and fairness are all big issues in relation to training.

We agree to close the petition under rule 15.7. We are reassured that the Government is engaging with the petitioner. If that proves to be unsatisfactory, the petitioner clearly has the opportunity to return to us.

However, I want to write to the Government to highlight the equity issue—that is, even though lots of people might be competing for a place, some people are unable to take up the opportunity and are excluded from that competition because of their financial position. I also want to raise with the Government Gail Ross’s point about other allied health professions getting bursaries. That question has never really been answered. It would not be sufficient to say, “Well, it is because it is popular”, given that not getting bursaries excludes people. It rather begs the question why the Government has moved in that direction, given that people were able to work and learn on the job. However, that is a broader question.

In closing the petition, we recognise how far the petitioner and her fellow campaigners have taken the issue. We hope that they will keep the matter under review—I am sure that they will. There is an opportunity to come back if they consider that doing so would be useful. We will write to the Government to highlight and ask about the question of equity.