To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of (a) the prevalence of respiratory disease and (b) the number of emergency hospital admissions for respiratory conditions in the West Scotland region compared with national averages in each of the last five years.
I refer the member to answer to questions S6W-43676 and S6W-43744 on 24 February 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.
Assessments of respiratory prevalence and emergency hospital admissions are produced and published by Public Health Scotland. These official statistics include data for every NHS Board area, as well as national level figures. The Scottish Government draws on these official statistics rather than undertaking separate board-level assessments.
Public Health Scotland data shows that respiratory conditions are a major contributor to unplanned hospital demand. Emergency inpatient activity accounts for almost half of all hospital admissions nationally, reflecting sustained pressure on acute services. Longer term projections indicate that unplanned acute inpatient admissions for respiratory conditions are expected to rise by around 23% between 2024 and 2034, confirming the growing burden of respiratory illness across Scotland. A link to PHS data can be found at: Projecting future demand for health and care services in Scotland (2024-2034) - Long term service demand projections in Scotland - Publications - Public Health Scotland.
The Scottish Government recognises these pressures and is taking action. We recently published the Foreword - NHS Scotland operational improvement plan - gov.scot, the Scotland's Population Health Framework - gov.scot and the Health and Social Care Service Renewal Framework - gov.scot in which we outline our shared, long-term vision for reforming and renewing health and social care services to ensure they are more sustainable, preventative, and equitable.
Our Respiratory care - action plan: 2021 to 2026 - gov.scot has supported national work to strengthen prevention, diagnosis, care and support for people living with respiratory conditions. Through the Centre for Sustainable Delivery, national pathways are being developed for severe asthma, COPD, sleep apnoea and interstitial lung disease. Work is also underway to improve access to pulmonary rehabilitation, a key intervention for people with chronic respiratory conditions.
This work supports resilience across the health system throughout the year, including during periods of increased pressure. Prioritising prevention, early detection and supporting effective long term self-management helps reduce avoidable exacerbations which often drive urgent and unscheduled demand during winter.
