Question reference: S6W-10779
- Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 1 September 2022 Registered interest
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Current status: Answered by Maree Todd on 20 September 2022
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what additional support it can provide to people with sleep apnoea to cover costs of running treatment devices such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines, in light of rising energy costs.
Answer
The Scottish Government is acutely aware of the impact that the recent price rises in the cost of energy will have on people, especially those using medical equipment at home, such as CPAP machines for the treatment of sleep apnoea.
Decisions about the reimbursement of energy costs associated with CPAP machines and other medical machines in individuals’ homes are made by NHS Boards. The Scottish Government continues to work with NHS Boards to address financial pressures across the healthcare system, including the impacts of the increase in energy costs. In May 2022, we published our Resource Spending Review that set out investment of £73 billion in health and social care to 2026-27.
The Scottish Government will also use the Emergency Budget Review to increase the Fuel Insecurity Fund to £20 million in 2022-23. The Fuel Insecurity Fund is aimed at helping people who are at risk of self-rationing their energy use, or self-disconnecting entirely because they cannot afford their energy bills.