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Parliament dissolved ahead of election

The Scottish Parliament is now dissolved ahead of the election on Thursday 7 May 2026.

During dissolution, there are no MSPs and no parliamentary business can take place.

For more information, please visit Election 2026

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Chamber and committees

Question reference: S6W-39412

  • Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
  • Date lodged: 17 July 2025
  • Current status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 6 August 2025

Question

To ask the Scottish Government what accountability mechanisms are in place to ensure that people are not being denied timely access to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessment or treatment by their local NHS board.


Answer

The Scottish Government is responsible for setting the overall policy direction of health services, and for working with and funding NHS Boards and local authorities to ensure they plan and deliver appropriate local services. However, it is the responsibility of local Health Boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs) to put in place services to meet local needs, including assessment and access to treatment and support for ADHD.

Health Boards and HSCPs are accountable for the delivery of their services locally. The Patient Rights (Scotland) Act 2011 and supporting legislation, provides a specific right for people to make complaints, raise concerns, make comments and give feedback. The Act also places a duty on NHS Boards to thoroughly investigate and respond to any concerns raised, to take improvement actions where appropriate and to share learning from feedback received. When a person has concerns about their treatment or care, this should be addressed at a local level through the NHS complaints handling procedure. When that is not possible, the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) is the second and final stage in the complaints process.

Scottish Government officials also engage regularly with Health Boards and HSCPs to discuss the delivery of services.