Current status: Answered by Angela Constance on 7 September 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact of travel distances on access to cancer treatment for children and young people living in rural and remote areas, including those served by NHS Dumfries and Galloway.
Scottish Government is aware of the impact that travel for health can have on an individual diagnosed with cancer and their family. Scottish Government has a number of schemes in place to support children and young people with cancer with costs incurred for travelling for treatment. Scottish Government has not assessed, nor holds data on the impact of travel distances on access to cancer treatment for children and young people living in rural and remote areas.
Financial support for travel to hospital appointments, regardless of distance travelled to access cancer treatment for children and young people, or for specific Health Boards, including NHS Dumfries and Galloway, is available through the patient travel expenses reimbursement schemes.
Under these schemes, patients and authorised escorts may reclaim reasonable travel costs associated with attending hospital appointments, subject to eligibility criteria and clinical requirements. These arrangements apply across Scotland and provide support to eligible young people and their families irrespective of condition.
Additionally, Scotland is the only UK-nation that currently has an active Young Patient Family Fund (YPFF). The fund provides support to the families of all babies, children and young people from birth to age 18 who require inpatient care, regardless of their health diagnosis.