Chamber and committees

We are committed to strengthening the Adults with Incapacity system in Scotland, including Powers of Attorney, with a specific focus on enhancing the rights and protections of people affected by incapacity law.

We are working with an Expert Working Group to develop proposals for reform, with an Adults with Incapacity Amendment Bill expected to be introduced during the current parliamentary session.

Work continues towards the implementation of the first phase of a national targeted lung screening programme. It is anticipated that the initial roll out will focus first on inviting eligible individuals in areas experiencing the highest levels of socio-economic deprivation, as evidence shows that they are at higher risk of lung cancer, and have poorer outcomes.

Screening Oversight and Assurance Scotland (SOAS) has established a multi-disciplinary Programme Board to provide subject matter expertise to the planning process. Formal workstreams have been established to consider delivery models for each element of the programme including call-recall, risk assessment, smoking cessation, CT scanning, image reporting and downstream assessment and treatment services. The Reference Group will meet again this month (June 2026) to review the work that has been undertaken so far.

It is expected that implementation of a national screening programme will take a minimum of 7-10 years, in line with the establishment and roll-out of similar programmes by NHS England and Public Health Wales. A screening programme of this size and scale must be implemented in a way which allows careful management of the impact on wider NHS services.

Scotland is rolling out MyCare.scot, part of the wider Digital Front Door Programme, which provides a unified, person-centred entry point to both health and social care, rather than focusing solely on NHS services– so this is not an ‘NHS app’. It was made available nationally in April 2026. Functionality will be introduced incrementally through to 2030 and beyond. MyCare.scot is accessed via a web browser; a downloadable app for it will be made available from early summer.

School counselling services are available to all pupils aged 10 and over, including primary and special school pupils, funded by our investment of £16 million per annum to local authorities.

The Scottish Government engaged with professional counselling bodies prior to establishing counselling services who advised that therapeutic counselling is not appropriate for younger pupils.

School counselling is just one part of a wider package of mental health and wellbeing support available to school-aged children and young people. We provide local authorities with baselined funding of £15 million per annum to deliver community-based mental health and wellbeing supports for children and young people aged 5 to 24 (or up to age 26 for care-experienced young people), including age-appropriate interventions for younger children such as play-based therapies and family support.

The initial cost model to establish a full lung screening programme prepared by the Scottish Expert Advisory Group (SEAG) estimated £36.7 million in implementation costs, followed by recurring costs of between £28.6 million and £39.7 million per annum (dependent upon uptake levels).

It is essential to note that full roll-out of lung screening will take between 7-10 years; this mirrors the experiences and plans of the other UK nations, and reflects the inherent challenges of establishing a programme of this size and complexity. Based on the cost model, the first phase will require at least £3.5 million, although this will be refined as planning progresses.

The Scottish Government does not hold the information you have requested.

Children have their own distinct healthcare needs and paediatric services require their own approach. Our Programme for Government for 2026-27 will be put to the Parliament in due course.

We also recognise the need to ensure that transitions from paediatric services to adult care are made as effective and safe as possible. That is why transitions from paediatric to adult services are already within the scope of our work on long term conditions for adults, as these transitions are the responsibility of adult services.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-00438 on 8 June 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.

Improving access to support for children and young people with neurodevelopmental support needs is a priority for this government.

I recognise that many people who have received a private diagnosis of ADHD are struggling to access the medication they are seeking through the NHS, and we are working with NHS Boards and primary care partners to better understand these barriers, including issues relating to shared care prescribing.

The Scottish Government is currently engaging with partners to explore options around shared care arrangements. We are committed to working collaboratively with stakeholders to ensure any approach is proportionate, effective and meets the needs of patients and clinicians.

Shared care was a key issue discussed at the second summit convened by the Minister for Social Care and Mental Wellbeing on neurodevelopment; and by the recent parliamentary inquiry by the Health and Social Care Committee. These will inform our work as we look to deliver manifesto commitments to improve pathways for those seeking support for neurodivergence.

As you will be aware medication is only one form of support for children and young people with an ADHD diagnosis and many children and young people will benefit from other forms of support including through community and education settings, which are available based on need and do not rely on diagnosis.

We are committed to ensuring that people who have suffered strokes receive the best possible care and recognise high quality, person-centred rehabilitation as a key component of this. An increased focus on rehabilitation is also a key component of our Stroke Improvement Plan, published in June 2023 and that is why we have included the investment of up to a million pounds to support Technology Enriched Rehabilitation Gyms.