Chamber and committees

As the inherited Independent Living Fund (2015 Fund) is a closed scheme, no new applications have been made since 2015. The following provides information on the number of applications to ILF Scotland’s Transition Fund since launch in December 2017.

Scottish Government Officials have had contact with representatives of the University of Glasgow and met with representatives of UNITE on 10 January to discuss recent developments in respect of the Glasgow Lighthouse Lab which is contracted by the UK Government until March 2023 to undertake processing of PCR tests as part of the COVID-19 Infection Survey (CIS). The CIS is outwith the control of the Scottish Government.

The Scottish Government has provided support to affected University of Glasgow staff through its Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) initiative and will continue to provide such support to any impacted staff as may be required.

As a result of the 22-23 Emergency Budget Review genomics was allocated a revised budget of £5 million, which has been sustained for 23-24.

The Scottish Government continues to monitor the overseas recruitment and considers this to be on track. As announced in October 2022 up to 750 overseas nurses, midwives and allied health professionals are to be recruited by the end of March 2023 and it is our aim to publish the results of that exercise shortly after.

The Scottish Government, as Sponsor, works closely with ILF Scotland on financial monitoring to ensure that funds are available to meet operational requirements whilst not being provided in advance of need or building up large reserves balances. This is consistent with the Scottish Public Finance Manual. In the current financial year, the Scottish Government has provided £47.72 million to ILF Scotland which covers the funding requirement for 2022-23. Financial reserves, held by ILF Scotland that are in excess of minimum requirements, have been used in addition to funds made available by the Scottish Government to meet operational demands.

Improving access for women to appropriate support, speedy diagnosis and best treatment for endometriosis is one of the priorities set out in the Women’s Health Plan for 2021-24.  

To ensure that those with endometriosis are receiving consistent and appropriate care we will help to support implementation the Modernising Patient Pathways Programme’s (MPPP) new Integrated Endometriosis Referral Care Pathway for NHS Scotland, which is now approved and will be circulated to all NHS Scotland Health Boards this year.  

In August 2021, we published an NHS Recovery Plan which set out our plans and ambitions over a five year period and is backed by more than £1 billion of funding. The plan supports an increase in inpatient, day case, and outpatient activity to address the backlogs of care, which will be supported by the implementation of sustainable improvements and new models of care.  

In recognition of the pressure faced by colposcopy services, last year we provided over £660,000 additional funding to NHS Ayrshire & Arran, NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, NHS Highland, NHS Lothian and NHS Tayside to support capacity. The funding was used to enhance capacity through recruitment and additional clinics, including at weekends, to allow increased activity and reduce demand on consultant time.  

Whilst Scottish Government do not hold the information requested centrally, we are progressing work to allow Boards to automatically gather this.

The Independent Living Fund was transferred to ILF Scotland on 1st July 2015, and at that time:

(a) 2,812 people resident in Scotland were in receipt of the Fund.

(b) The total budget to continue financial awards for people resident in Scotland for the remainder of the financial year 2015-16 was £36.34 million (equivalent to a full year cost of £48.45 million).

The published budget for 2022-23 was £53.3 million. ILF Scotland’s Grant-in-Aid allocation for 2022-23 was £52.72 million. Of this, £48.45 million was allocated to the Independent Living Fund and £4.27 million for the Transition Fund which was launched in December 2017. Funds are provided in response to need and therefore there can be a difference between published budget and final spending.

We know that endometriosis can have a significant impact on people’s lives, and that support for those with the condition is required while we work to improve waiting times.  

To ensure those with endometriosis are receiving consistent and appropriate care we will help support The Modernising Patient Pathways Programme (MPPP) to implement the new Integrated Endometriosis Referral Care Pathway for NHS Scotland, which has now been approved and will be circulated to all NHS Scotland health boards this year.  

We have invested in research into endometriosis, which is vital to help us achieve better care for those with the condition. We are jointly funding a £250,000 endometriosis research project with Wellbeing of Women and the recipient of the grant will be announced later in March. The research aims to develop improvements into treatment and management options for the condition.  

To ensure that people with endometriosis have access to the most accurate and relevant information and links to further support, we updated the NHS Inform endometriosis page. This includes videos to support those with the condition and to provide information about symptoms and treatment options available.  

The supply of medicines is a reserved matter for the UK Government. Scottish Government officials are regularly updated on any supply disruptions which may arise and will provide advice to the NHS in Scotland on options to address any shortages.