Chamber and committees

Work is ongoing to establish how the £16 million funding announced in the draft Scottish budget will be best used to maximise the number of patients able to benefit from thrombectomy.

The new Scottish Budget was presented to Parliament on 4 December 2024 with £16 million allocated to the further development of the thrombectomy service and stroke policy. This details Scottish Ministers spend proposals for the year ahead and the Scottish Parliament will then scrutinise this information through the Scottish Budget Bill. Further details on the Scottish Budget and the Health and Social Care portfolio budget Finance can be found at; Scottish Budget 2025 to 2026.

Neurology trainees are provided with training in immunology and virology. The curriculum for neurology training, published by the Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Training Board, includes Capabilities in Practice (CiPs) on managing inflammatory and infectious disorders.

These CiPs make clear expectations upon neurology trainees regarding:

• understanding of the underlying anatomy and pathophysiology of inflammatory and infectious diseases of the nervous system, including the treatments and their side effects
• ability to select, request and interpret relevant investigations including serology, genetic testing, imaging of the brain and spine, neurophysiology, tissue culture and histology in order to diagnose and manage such disorders
• ability to work with other relevant clinicians both in treating and monitoring patients and in referring them to other disciplines as appropriate.

There is robust educational Governance through NHS Education Scotland (NES) for neurology training in Scotland. NES does not consider it necessary to require neurologists to be experts in either immunology or virology, but to be able to clinically assess, investigate and manage people with neuroimmunological conditions and neuroinfectious disease using an evidence-based approach.

The Scottish Government draft budget 2025-26 has been informed by planning forecasts provided by the Thrombectomy Advisory Group (TAG). Clinicians and third sector organisations, as well as NHS planning colleagues, are represented on the TAG and the information provided by them helps to inform decisions taken by the National Thrombectomy Programme Board.

Work is ongoing to establish how the £16 million funding announced in the Scottish budget, subject to parliamentary scrutiny, will be best used to maximise the number of patients able to benefit from thrombectomy.

As set out in the answer to question S6W-33241 on 24 January 2025, Screening Oversight and Assurance Scotland are developing a business case for the implementation of a targeted lung screening programme, which is expected by the end of February 2025.

Following receipt, the Scottish Screening Committee will be convened to discuss its findings and consider next steps.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

The Young Patients Family Fund (YPFF) is designed to support the families of all babies, children and young people from birth to age 18 who require inpatient care in Scotland, regardless of diagnosis.

The YPFF is a demand-led fund and the Scottish Government has ensured full funding against demand in each year since its launch on 26 July 2021. The 2025-26 budget has been set based on expected demand levels and the Scottish Government remains committed to provide full funding for the YPFF in 2025-26.

Other financial support is available to children and young people with a cancer diagnosis and their families for travel to hospital via the patient travel expenses reimbursement schemes. Under those schemes, patients and authorised escorts can reclaim reasonable costs of travel associated with attending a hospital appointment, in line with eligibility criteria and medical requirements.

The commitment in the Stroke Improvement Plan to publish a plan for further development of the national thrombectomy service in the second half of 2023 was published in December 2023, available at: Thrombectomy Service Update and Expansion Outline

It should be noted that, since publication, the National Thrombectomy Programme Board has, on the advice of NHS National Services Division, moved away from an options appraisal approach in favour of maximising access to thrombectomy and a stepwise approach to service expansion.

To date, significant work has been undertaken to develop robust criteria for a national AI solution to assist with identifying patients who may benefit from a thrombectomy.

A tendering process has commenced and the suitability and affordability of AI solutions will determine whether Scottish Government proceeds with procurement.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-33241 on 24 January 2025. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Screening Oversight and Assurance Scotland, supported by the work of an expert advisory group and led by the Director of Screening, is currently developing a business case for implementation of targeted lung screening. This is expected by the end of this winter, and will consider the matter of incidental findings. Following receipt of the business case, the Scottish Government and delivery partners across the NHS will have greater scope to make an evidenced-based assessment of implementation timescales.

The roll-out of any screening programme is a complex undertaking, and the UK National Screening Committee acknowledged in its recommendation that there remain a number of significant issues that must be worked through before a full programme of lung screening can be implemented. This means a national screening programme is likely to take years rather than months to implement.

In the meantime, lung cancer remains a national priority. The Scottish Government has a dedicated chapter in our £114.5 million National Cancer Plan, and in December 2023 we redesigned lung cancer diagnostic services to help ensure patients receive faster access to treatment.

All Health Boards in Scotland receiving baselined funding from the Scottish Government toward their neurology services. As part of Planned Care funding, the Scottish Government has also invested £217,000 in total towards improving waiting times in NHS Tayside and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

Through the Neurological Framework, the Scottish Government has given direct investment to numerous territorial Health Boards to undertake projects focusing on neurological care, in line with the Framework’s commitments. Health Boards that have received direct investment are:

• NHS Ayrshire and Arran
• NHS Forth Valley
• NHS Grampian
• NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
• NHS Lanarkshire
• NHS Lothian
• NHS Orkney
• NHS Tayside

Third sector organisations have also been awarded funding to work in partnership with a number of statutory organisations to better integrate services, including NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Fife. The Migraine Trust has worked in partnership with seven NHS boards to improve treatment for migraine in community pharmacy.

A full list of projects funded through the Neurological Framework can be found here.