Question reference: S5W-00946
- Asked by: Christina McKelvie, MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 21 June 2016
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Current status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 14 July 2016
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on (a) its doubling of the number of motor neurone disease (MND) specialist nurses and (b) research that it is funding to find a cure for MND.
Answer
I am delighted to confirm that the Scottish Government have delivered on the pledge to double the number of motor neurone disease (MND) clinical specialist nurses. Their number has increased from 5.6 whole time equivalent (WTE) to 12.9 WTE. MND specialist nurses have been paid centrally since April 2015.
The Scottish Government supports medical research aimed at better understanding of neurodegenerative diseases including MND, with the goal of developing effective new treatments and diagnostic approaches. Through the Chief Scientist Office, the Scottish Government is currently co-funding a clinical academic fellowship with the charities MND Scotland and the MND Association. This project, which is due to report in 2018, is using state of the art techniques to improve knowledge of how to best diagnose patients and to predict survival, thereby optimising the care patients receive.
In addition, the Scottish Government has committed to funding three PhD studentships in MND. Discussions to identify key areas of research needed in MND are planned to help ensure these studentships have the maximum impact. These discussions will shape the research calls and inform funding requirements.