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On the consideration of what is required and what areas need attention, the first sentence of paragraph 100 of the report states:

“The Chief Medical Officer’s 2023–24 annual report highlights the need to focus on a health and care system that focuses on ‘equity, prevention and early intervention’.”

In the area that I represent, Greenock has the worst Scottish index of multiple deprivation data zone, and, sadly, Inverclyde is at the top of a range of negative health indicators. When it comes to additional investment or any potential additional utilisation of the IRH, I suggest that that would help to deal with the equity point, in contrast to centralising many services up to Paisley and Glasgow.

That is helpful. I was going to come back to Mr Burns with regard to Inverclyde and the Inverclyde royal hospital, because he missed out Inverclyde in his comments when he highlighted a few other areas earlier. However, on Mr Gray’s point regarding the existing estate and investment into that, I have spent a huge amount of time engaging with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde with regard to the Inverclyde royal hospital. I know the condition of the IRH. Investment has gone in and it has been very much welcomed, particularly given the First Minister’s comments on Monday with regard to the additional treatments that are to take place there. That is very much welcomed within the community.

However, on the fabric of the building, I cannot stress enough its two main challenges in relation to being wind and watertight. I will add a third challenge, in relation to its heating system. There are challenges in relation to extending the lifespan of that building. My preference would be to have a new build, but I know that that is not going to happen tomorrow. However, in relation to extending the lifespan of the building, it is about the investment that is to go in.

I know that the health board has been working on that particular project for a few years. However, because of the capital situation, nothing could progress.

Building the IRH on the top of a hill in one of the wettest parts of the country—

I know. I am very much aware of that.

To be parochial again for a moment, I know that the replacement of Port Glasgow health centre is a priority for the health board. I do not know whether that will come up in any report that it will make to the Government in relation to future investment.

Thank you, convener, and good morning. I have some questions about paragraphs 50 to 56 of the Audit Scotland report, and about case study 1 on page 24. Paragraph 50 highlights the suggestion that the capital budget will fall again in 2024-25. Now that the Scottish Parliament has reached agreement on the budget and it is clear that it will pass, how will that affect the position on the national treatment centres and the plans to build more of them?

I am sure that anyone who is watching this meeting who has looked at the report will find exhibit 7 quite startling, to say the least, on the cost of PFI contracts. Between 1998-99 and 2023-24, £4.8 billion has been paid out, and a further £5.8 billion will be paid out between 2024-25 and 2045-46. That is a huge amount of money going from the public purse into company profits.

I will move on from CAPA to accident and emergency waiting times, which remain considerably below target. That is a huge challenge. A few years ago, I did a 12-hour shift with the Scottish Ambulance Service on a Monday morning. Before I went, I genuinely did not realise how busy the Monday would be or the logjam that would happen with ambulances at the Inverclyde royal hospital. I also did not fully realise that I would probably know somebody who would make a call and be picked up, and that proved to be the case.

What additional work has been considered on that issue? The First Minister spoke about it on Monday, but there is a real challenge in improving the patient journey when people get to A and E.

There was reference earlier to the national conversation and the discussions that take place with different specialties. I assume that they have input into the centre and that concerns, issues and suggestions from folk who are on the ground, attempting to deliver the outcomes, are being listened to.

The representative from NFU Scotland put forward a very strong case with regard to the co-design work that took place between the Government and NFU Scotland on agriculture legislation. Obviously, every policy area is different, and co-design will be better suited to some areas than to others. However, we also heard evidence that there might not be full engagement with the wider stakeholder group if the co-design element is focused only on a small number of key stakeholders in a particular sector, so there could be challenges there as well.

I see that colleagues have no final questions. Minister, is there anything else that you want to put on the record?