Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-01604 on 22 July 2026. 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.

This is an operational decision for NHS Highland.

The Scottish Government wants people diagnosed with cancer to be treated as close to home as clinically possible. We recognise that NHS Scotland’s oncology capacity has been increasingly tested and continue to work with NHS Boards to limit the need for travel where possible and clinically appropriate.

The Scottish Government convened a meeting on 24 July with Board Chief Executives and Medical Directors to discuss the current situation in NHS Highland to ensure the risks are being mitigated and the system is working collaboratively to do this.

Whilst this is an operational issue for NHS Highland the Scottish Government remains in close contact with the Health Board at this time.

The Scottish Government has developed a range of national guidance, including the Discharge Without Delay approach, which promotes multidisciplinary assessment, person-centred discharge planning and collaboration between health, social care, housing and homelessness services. This approach is reinforced by Scotland's homelessness prevention duties, which, when enacted, will require relevant public bodies to ask and act where a person is at risk of homelessness and ensure housing needs are considered as part of assessment and discharge planning.

The Scottish Government is committed to improving timely access to needs-based support for children and young people, in line with GIRFEC and the National Neurodevelopmental Specification. Access to support should not be dependent on a diagnosis, except in limited circumstances such as the prescribing of ADHD medication.

We are continuing our work with COSLA and the Children and Young People’s Neurodevelopment Taskforce to deliver on the actions set out in the Review of the Specification for Children and Young People.

In 2025-26 we provided over £2.9 million of funding to support projects to improve access to neurodevelopmental support across Scotland. The 2026/27 Budget includes additional investment of £7.6 million.

It is important to recognise that CAMHS is a specialist service for those experiencing significant mental health issues. Neurodevelopmental conditions, such as autism and ADHD, are not mental health conditions. CAMHS is therefore not the correct service for neurodevelopmental diagnostic assessment, unless there is a co-occurring mental health condition that meets CAMHS criteria.

The estimated number of individuals prescribed methadone nationally in each financial year since 2020/21 is presented in the following table:

The Scottish Government’s approach to safeguarding alcohol policy from undue industry influence is set out in its Alcohol Framework published in 2018. The framework states that the Scottish Government will not work with the alcohol industry on health policy development, on health messaging campaigns or on provision of education in schools and beyond the school setting.

Regulated lobbying of members of the Scottish Government as well as MSPs must be recorded on the Scottish Parliament’s lobbying register, and minutes of meetings with Scottish Government Ministers, including by the alcohol industry, are retained as part of the Scottish Government’s corporate record.

The meeting planned to take place on the 29 April 2026, to discuss the formation of a short life working group to look at interventions for chronic pain, was cancelled to allow full consideration of the group’s remit, methodology, and membership.

The Scottish Stroke Care Audit provides invaluable information that helps drive improvements in the delivery of stroke care, including hyperacute treatment such as thrombectomy.

NHS Scotland is required to consider the Scottish Health Technologies Group's(SHTG) recommendations. Discussions are underway to understand how those recommendations can inform sustainable, consistent and effective service delivery across Scotland.