Chamber and committees

NHS 24 reports that 72,898 patient records included reference to an ambulance response for the reporting year 2014-15.

I can confirm that Network Rail have been working with promoters, Nestrans (the north east regional transport partnership) and Aberdeenshire council on the design of Kintore station, which includes car parking and road access. Transport Scotland will be meeting Network Rail and promoters later in 2015. This meeting will include discussion of emerging proposals on third party funding, design and development of the station. Accordingly, the delivery of Kintore station remains on schedule for completion by March 2019.

Since the launch of the Hepatitis C Action Plan in 2008 the Scottish Government has provided NHS boards with funding specifically to support hepatitis C treatment and care. This has led to a more than doubling of the number of people commencing hepatitis C treatment over that period. Under the Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Framework £28 million per year is provided to support various activities, including hepatitis C treatment.

In recognition of the new, highly effective therapies for hepatitis C which were approved for use by the Scottish Medicines Consortium in 2014, the Scottish Government has provided additional recurring funding to NHS boards from 2015-16 to assist with the costs of new drugs, including hepatitis C therapies.

In addition to financial support the Scottish Government also supports a range of professional networks, including viral hepatitis clinical leads, which enables the NHS to promote best practice in the use of new therapies and the care of hepatitis C infected patients.

The Scottish Government is committed to eliminating hepatitis C as a public health concern and the updated Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Framework will reflect this.

The updated Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Framework, to be published later this summer, will set out the Scottish Government’s position on opt-out testing and screening of prisoners for blood borne viruses. Throughout the Hepatitis C Action Plan, and the current Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Framework, the Scottish Government has recognised the prison population as an important risk group, and we will continue do so.

Elimination of hepatitis C as a public health concern will require good quality prevention services to minimise the transmission of hepatitis C, an increase in testing and diagnosis of hepatitis C, and ready access to good quality treatment, care and support to enable those who have been infected to clear the virus before serious hepatitis C-related liver disease develops. As a result of the Scottish Government investment in prevention, testing and treatment services through its Hepatitis C Action Plan, Scotland is better placed than most countries to work towards eliminating the virus as a public health concern.

The Scottish Government remains fully committed to working with all stakeholders to improve outcomes for people with neurological conditions. We will continue to work with third sector colleagues and indeed, we will be refocusing effort in this area. To that end we expect to increase funding for specific projects to improve services and experiences for people with neurological conditions. This year we expect to invest almost three times as much funding as last year – up to £210,000 – to support robust improvement projects. Neurological charities, including the Neurological Alliance of Scotland, working individually or in partnership can bring forward proposals to support improvement in services for people living with a neurological condition.

Between 2006 and March 2015 the government allocated £197,000 to the Neurological Alliance of Scotland. The end of March 2014 marked the end of a three year funding arrangement with the Neurological Alliance of Scotland. Further funding was allocated to the Neurological Alliance in 2014-15 and they were again advised to explore other funding sources before this additional funding came to an end on 31 March 2015.

The updated Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Framework will be published in late summer 2015. No specific date has been set.