Chamber and committees

I am satisfied that appropriate arrangements are already in place for Gulf War Veterans in Scotland.

The clinical needs of veterans in Scotland are assessed by their doctor. Should concerns exist that the patient's health may have been affected by service with the armed forces in the Gulf, he or she can be referred to the Ministry of Defence's Gulf Veterans' Medical Assessment Programme (MAP) for further investigation and diagnosis.

Patients referred to the MAP are given a full medical examination together with a range of physical tests; investigations routinely conducted for all patients include urinalysis, haematological, biochemical, biological and serological tests, ultrasound scan of the abdomen and electrocardiography. These tests are carried out on the day of the appointment and take approximately 4 hours. Additional investigations and /or referrals to other consultants or specialists may be required; this is decided either during the initial appointment or in follow-up consultations if deemed necessary.

The MAP itself does not provide treatment; its role is to assess patients and recommend treatment as appropriate. Any recommendations for treatment are passed on to the patient's GP; it is then for the individual doctor to arrange treatment through the National Health Service and to monitor the patient's health as he or she would for any other patient. In the case of a veteran who is still serving, recommendations for treatment would be passed to the unit medical officer and treatment arranged through the Defence Medical Services.The cost of the patient's travel to the MAP (within the UK) is met by the MOD as are accommodation costs where necessary.