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I accept what you say about the outcome that you are looking for. My question is, do you think that, at this point in time, you should be doing some of the things that can be done now quickly? Would that benefit the whole group that you have said you want to get outcomes for?

Thank you.

I have a question about the national social work agency, as stakeholders have approached many of us about it. I will then ask a more general question, if you do not mind.

Is it the intention to move forward with a national social work agency? I think that everyone agrees that we do not need legislation for that, but people are keen to know whether the agency would be just for social work or whether it would include the wider healthcare professional group.

I think that people will find that answer quite helpful, because we get asked about the agency.

I have a more general question, if you do not mind my asking it. I have been listening carefully to the points that you have been making, in your leadership role as the minister for the national care service. When you make your recommendations to the Cabinet, do you emphasise that we should stick to trying to get agreement on the national care service, or do you give advice on three or four things that we know that we can do now and that we should be moving forward with? I am interested to know what balance you give, as the leader in that area, when you speak to your colleagues.

I thank Roz McCall for bringing this significant issue to the attention of the Parliament. This is an important debate, and I am sure that many members will be able to speak about personal experiences, as it is estimated that more than half of Scotland’s adult population have a close personal connection to someone who has had a stroke.

Given the time constraints, I will not make some of the remarks that I was intending to, as many members have given the reasons why urgency is so important. It is critical that public awareness campaigns that focus on identifying stroke symptoms are supported and, of course, adequately resourced. It will be good to hear what the cabinet secretary has to say about that in his closing remarks.

The national FAST stroke awareness campaign, which is led by Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, offers a chance to increase awareness of the importance of seeking medical help as soon as possible when people experience stroke symptoms. In the event of a stroke, timing is critical. The treatments of thrombolysis and thrombectomy are time sensitive, so awareness of symptoms is important. In my region, 10 patients received such treatment quickly in a local hospital in the NHS Ayrshire and Arran health board area, so I understand that it is important to invest in public awareness campaigns so that people get to hospitals whenever they can.

Public awareness campaigns are imperative not only in promoting health behaviours but in providing greater awareness of symptoms and the link with improved health outcomes. It is imperative that the Government invests in prevention to improve health outcomes across Scotland, especially in our most deprived communities, because people living in those areas are more likely to have experienced a major cardiovascular event, such as a stroke.

A key aspect of prevention is awareness raising, so the Scottish Government must recognise the importance of health awareness campaigns and listen to charities that are calling on the Government to deliver the priorities that are set out in the “Stroke Improvement Plan 2023”.

We have heard about the very important FAST campaign. Although strokes are generally more prevalent among the older population, the number of younger people who are experiencing strokes is increasing, so we need to make such campaigns accessible to that generation.

Roz McCall’s motion mentions the BE FAST campaign, and I absolutely recognise what she has said in promoting the effectiveness of that campaign. It is encouraging to hear about it, and I urge the Scottish Government to explore the campaign’s effectiveness and to consider how we can add it to our prevention and awareness campaigns.

I hope that the main message from the debate is clear: we need action as soon as possible, and we all want this to be a priority. Therefore, I ask the cabinet secretary to respond favourably.

People in South Scotland continue to report to me that, a year after an independent review highlighted multiple systemic problems with NHS audiology services, they are still being left to navigate a bureaucratic maze just to get a proper diagnosis. Will the minister commit to dealing urgently with that bureaucratic maze?

In the statement, the minister acknowledged that

“We all know that the status quo is not an option.”

However, it feels as though Government ministers are the only people who do not understand that. For unpaid carers, it is quite simply an understatement. The labour of unpaid carers in Scotland saves the economy £15.9 billion each year. There are now no meaningful plans in place to guarantee breaks for unpaid carers. What is the Government doing to rectify that now?

I thank Marie McNair for bringing this important debate to the chamber. On behalf of Scottish Labour, I welcome world COPD day, which takes place today and recognises this year’s theme of “Know your lung function”. Raising awareness of COPD and its symptoms is an important part of the national day. I congratulate everyone who is involved on its success and I thank colleagues for the briefings that have updated us on the situation for those who live with COPD.

As we have heard, the symptoms include shortness of breath, a persistent chesty cough with phlegm, frequent chest infections and persistent wheezing. The condition causes restricted airflow and breathing problems and it most commonly affects people who smoke or who have smoked, as well as those who have been exposed to dust fumes or chemicals, often in work. Those who had chest trouble or asthma in childhood can also be affected.

The prevalence of COPD in Scotland and, indeed, globally, should cause us all some concern. The condition is estimated to affect more than 140,000 people in Scotland who have had a diagnosis, and it is suspected that thousands of people are living without a proper diagnosis. COPD continues to be the third leading cause of mortality worldwide.

In order to stop that worrying trend, I consider it important that the causes of the disease are understood and highlighted. That is part of what world COPD day is about. I raised that the previous time I spoke on the issue in the chamber. I want to add again that smoking is the most common cause of COPD; it is the leading factor for eight out of 10 cases. That means that many cases of COPD can be tracked back to a single cause, which highlights for the Parliament where action can be taken. I know that the Scottish Government has plans for a smoke-free generation by 2034, and I state again that I am very supportive of that and will do all that I can to support the minister with it.

We need more action now to protect those living with COPD. We have heard from people who suffer from the condition about some of the things that are happening for them at the moment. For the third year in a row, in a survey of COPD sufferers, only 5 per cent of patients reported receiving the important five pillars of care that Marie McNair mentioned. One in five wait more than five years for diagnosis, and one in eight wait more than 10 years. There are real barriers to diagnosis, which are reflected in those long waits—general practitioner misdiagnosis, difficulty getting appointments and a simple lack of awareness in communities of the signs and symptoms.

COPD is another condition that disproportionately impacts the poorest in our society. In Ayrshire, where I live, the rates of COPD are among the highest in Scotland. In 2018, NHS Ayrshire and Arran had the highest proportion of people living with COPD in Scotland. It is important to me, as a South Scotland representative and as someone who lives in Ayrshire, that we take action that supports those people.

The lack of insight from those on the Tory benches today is astounding. Let us be absolutely clear that 14 years of Tory chaos and decline have very much led us down the path to where we are today.

No, thanks—I want to make progress in my first minute.

Our public services are seen as an essential part of society by anyone who considers themselves part of the Labour and trade union movement. They are, to put it quite simply, part of our core belief system. Not only are they a testament to genuine, lasting politics, but they stand as a legacy of the serious transformational power that a Government can wield. I am proud to say that, when we look at our country’s history, we see that, at every level of government, that has been at its best when Labour is in power.

However, whether it be my party or other parties—