Current status: Answered by Maree Todd on 17 January 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what it has done to support access to services for women for those who are required to travel long distances to attend appointments or who may have difficulty travelling to appointments.
The Scottish Government and NHS Scotland continues to promote the use of remote consultations, including NHS Near Me, as a means to support access to services and reduce the need to travel to appointments.
As an example of this support, Community Hubs are also being established in areas of Scotland where people could more easily attend and access appointments remotely. These Hubs provide a private space and equipment for members of the public to access digital services, such as video consultations.
More recently, Midwives in NHS Grampian have used Near Me Group s Consultations to provide Antenatal Classes which reduces the need for pregnant women to travel to their appointments. NHS Near Me has provided a short film which contains more information - Near Me Groups for Antenatal Classes, NHS Grampian - YouTube