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I am sure that the First Minister agrees that, although sarcoma is a rare form of cancer, every person who is affected deserves timely diagnosis, access to specialist care and the best possible treatment and support. Will the First Minister provide an update on the work that the Scottish Government is undertaking to ensure that that can happen? Will he ensure that his Government engages with Sarcoma UK on the 16 recommendations in its report?

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to the Sarcoma UK report “Unique Among Cancers”. (S6F-04237)

I welcome the announcement of support from the cabinet secretary and her decision to use the section 25 power. I also appreciate how much ministers have been engaging with me and other MSPs, who have largely worked on a collaborative basis across party lines.

My focus remains on the staff, who have been badly let down by the university’s management and who understandably remain angry and anxious. Will the cabinet secretary outline how the Scottish Government’s financial support will help to save jobs in Dundee? Will she assure staff that steps will be taken to fully remove the threat of compulsory redundancies?

The issue that Mr Choudhury raises is really important. Can the First Minister say more about what the Scottish Government is doing to reduce waiting times for my constituents in Dundee and people across the country? Specifically, can he give us an update on recent targeted investment and how that is supporting delivery?

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I did not manage to connect. I would have voted yes.

Speaking to the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee, Victor Madrigal-Borloz, the United Nations independent expert on sexual orientation and gender, commented:

“Mention has been made of trans rights, but there is no such thing as trans rights or gay rights or lesbian rights; there are human rights of people who are gay, human rights of people who are lesbian and human rights of people who are trans.”—[Official Report, Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee, 21 June 2022; c 44.]

Given that, what steps is the Scottish Government taking to uphold human rights for all?

Unlike Jackie Baillie, I was proud to vote, along with the cabinet secretary, for the Scottish budget that provided that record direct investment for our national health service here in Scotland. It is really important that we recognise that the money that is involved in that is Scotland’s money, and it is for this Parliament to decide how that money is allocated. I voted for it, the cabinet secretary voted for it, and Jackie Baillie and her colleagues did not.

Will the cabinet secretary provide an update on his engagement with health boards regarding the potential for that funding to be used to update equipment, while encouraging conversations on increasing innovation across the NHS and social care?

I know that the First Minister shares the concern across the chamber about the situation at the University of Dundee and the proposed job losses. It would be good if the First Minister were to put on the record that, like the rest of us, he considers the proposals from the university to compulsorily sack more than 600 people—20 to 25 per cent of the workforce—to be absolutely unacceptable; that the Government will use all its efforts to ensure that that does not happen; and that we will get a new plan that works for the staff, the students and the city of Dundee.

I am grateful for the opportunity to speak in the debate and to highlight some fantastic innovations in health and social care, particularly in Dundee. Blackwood Homes and Care operates more than 1,700 homes across 28 local authorities and is renowned for its innovative approach to accessible housing. Colleagues across the chamber will be familiar with Blackwood’s groundbreaking work, which is revolutionising the way in which technology and data are integrated into independent living solutions, offering transformative benefits for individuals.

I was just about to mention the cabinet secretary’s visit, which I know was really appreciated by Blackwood. I had the privilege of visiting 66 new homes in Charleston, in my constituency. That £17.5 million housing project uses state-of-the-art technology and design features to help people to live as independently as possible.

Members might not be aware that Margaret Blackwood was a Dundonian. A remarkable campaigner for the rights of disabled people, she spearheaded the march on wheels protest along Princes Street in Edinburgh and addressed a rally in Trafalgar Square where she publicly demanded equality and recognition for disabled people’s rights. The first Blackwood home opened in Dundee in 1976, marking the beginning of a transformation in accessible housing in Scotland. I believe that Blackwood still leads the way in that innovation. The Blackwood standard is something that all housing associations should aspire to.

Shona Robison and I visited the stroke and thrombectomy team at Ninewells hospital a couple of years ago, with the Stroke Association. We saw at first hand how AI technology enables that extraordinary thrombectomy treatment. We also saw how the innovative use of workforce can be employed in its delivery.

For the record, a thrombectomy is the mechanical removal of a clot of blood from the blood vessel connecting to the brain. The Stroke Association has told me that 153 people in Scotland had a thrombectomy in 2023, which is just one in seven of those eligible. It is clear that thrombectomy needs to be normalised in Scotland’s stroke pathway, and innovation is critical to its delivery. It is great that the national procurement process for the development of an AI tool for assisting stroke clinicians to perform thrombectomies has begun.

I take this opportunity to highlight the work of Professor Iris Grunwald, who won Innovate UK’s women in innovation award in 2023. Professor Grunwald’s achievements include developing the first AI solution for image interpretation in acute stroke and bringing the first mobile stroke unit ambulance to the UK.

I want to take a moment to talk about something that is very personal to me. In October 2022, my father had a very serious stroke. I take the opportunity to thank Professor Grunwald and her team—personally and on behalf of my family—for saving not only my dad’s life but his quality of life. My dad celebrated his 89th birthday last month and is loving life. [Applause.] I hope that the minister is able to say something in her closing speech about the on-going work to ensure that more people who have a stroke can have the positive outcome that my dad experienced.

The final issue that I want to touch on is the huge potential of robotics to improve many aspects of health and social care provision in Scotland. Robotics can be central to transformative technology and the establishment of practical ways to bring technology into our hospitals, care homes and care at home. The expansion of NHS Tayside’s robotic surgical service, which is being used in a range of disciplines, is benefiting patients in Dundee and across our region.

I highlight the work of the National Robotarium at Heriot-Watt University, which is the UK’s centre for robotics and artificial intelligence and is in my colleague Gordon MacDonald’s constituency. I am pleased that the cabinet secretary and other members have already mentioned that.

It is clear that there are significant health and economic benefits to the innovations that I, and colleagues from across the chamber, have set out. Crucially, those innovations are having an enormous positive impact on the lives of the people of Dundee and those across Scotland. To continue to realise the benefits of innovation, we must continue to invest in our hugely talented research institutions, in social care and, ultimately, in the future of our healthcare system.