• NHS national conversation: Govt must show ambition to fix Conservatives mess or “risks becoming a talking shop”
• Social Care: Govt kicking the can down the road yet again
• McArthur responds to First Minister “wrestling” with assisted dying

NHS national conversation: Govt must show ambition to fix Conservatives mess or “risks becoming a talking shop”

Responding to the government’s announcement that it will begin a ‘national conversation’ about the future of the NHS, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

The government must show the ambition needed to fix the awful damage done by the Conservatives to the NHS and care, or this exercise risks becoming a talking shop.

We know that primary care services across the country are at the brink of collapse due to the Conservative Party’s disgraceful neglect, with patients paying the price.

Whether it is sky-high GP waiting lists, endless ambulance response times, or a failure to diagnose cancer in time, none of these issues can be fixed without fixing the crisis in social care.

That is why the Liberal Democrats will make sure that social care is part of the debate and push for a cross party solution to this crisis.

Social Care: Govt kicking the can down the road yet again

Responding to Care Minister Stephen Kinnock’s comments that the government’s plan to reform social care will be published “in the next 12 months”, Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care spokesperson Helen Morgan MP said:

The previous Conservative government ignored this crisis and left our social care system on the brink of collapse. It is not good enough for the government to kick the can down the road yet again.

We need to begin cross-party talks immediately to get social care on a long-term sustainable footing. You cannot fix the crisis in the NHS without fixing social care.

McArthur responds to First Minister “wrestling” with assisted dying

Responding to comments from John Swinney today in which the First Minister said he is still “wrestling” with whether he believes in assisted dying, Liam McArthur MSP said:

The current law on assisted dying is failing too many terminally ill Scots, often forcing them to suffer against their wishes despite the very best efforts of palliative care. It also results in people taking matters into their own hands in ways that offer no protection to them or their families and no regulation or oversight that provides increased safety for all. It is clear that a new compassionate and safe law is required.

I am glad that John Swinney is taking his time to consider this issue in depth, having been against it in the past. I am also grateful to him for sparing the time to discuss the issue with me in some detail during his brief period on the backbenches.

Both public polling and the consultation I conducted showed overwhelming support for a change in the law. There will be MSPs, I know, who would not personally choose the option of an assisted death, however I would urge each of them to consider whether they should deny that choice to terminally ill, mentally competent Scots who wish to have that option available.

For the purposes of medical consent, Scots Law treats 16 year olds as full adults, which is why that is the age that is proposed in my bill. However, I am keen to hear the evidence taken by and views of the Health Committee in their scrutiny of my bill and I remain open to discussing amendments on this if that is the will of Parliament.