The Scottish Government continues to support the Centre for Sustainable Delivery in updating their national headache pathway for Scotland, which was launched last year, which will help to improve care for migraines and headache.

The Scottish Government received no requests for funding to support Migraine Awareness Week 2024. No funding was provided.

Our records indicate that since 2021:

a) The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care has not met with the Migraine Trust.

b) The former Minister for Public Health, Women’s Health & Sport, Maree Todd MSP, met with the Migraine Trust once.

The current Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health, Jenni Minto MSP, has met with the Migraine Trust three times.

c) The Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport has not met with the Migraine Trust.

Discussions between the former and current Minister for Public Health, Women’s Health & Sport and the Migraine Trust have focussed on the charity’s activities and publications and more generally the improvement of care in Scotland for those with migraine.

The most recent Ministerial engagement with the Migraine Trust was 20 August 2024, when the Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health visited NHS Grampian to learn more about the collaborative project undertaken between the charity and the health board.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information.

a) A national headache pathway was launched in October 2023 by the Centre for Sustainable Delivery at NHS Golden Jubilee. This pathway aids clinicians, including GPs, in the diagnosis and management of headache disorders, including migraine. The pathway specifically includes guidance for the treatment of migraine in primary care.

b) Through the Neurological Care & Support Framework, the Scottish Government provided £221,176 in total to the Migraine Trust across 2022-24, to work with community, primary and secondary care pharmacists to help people with migraine manage their symptoms and treatments more effectively. The work has been undertaken in NHS Grampian, and is being expanded into further NHS Boards who are working towards adopting this model of care.

Through this work an eLearning programme and resource page has been developed on NHS Education for Scotland’s platform TURAS. This comprises a suite of training materials available for all pharmacists and pharmacy teams to access.

The Scottish Government is committed to increasing the availability of medicines that patients in Scotland need.

A national headache pathway was launched in October 2023 by the Centre for Sustainable Delivery at NHS Golden Jubilee. This is to aid clinicians in the diagnosis and management of headache disorders, including migraine, and offers guidance on management of conditions.

Through the Neurological Care & Support Framework, the Scottish Government awarded £221,176 in total to the Migraine Trust across 2022-24, to work with community, primary and secondary care pharmacists In NHS Grampian to help people with migraine manage their symptoms and treatments more effectively.

Through the success of this project, a further seven NHS Boards are working towards adopting this model of care in future.

In Scotland, the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) appraises the clinical and cost-effectiveness of newly licensed medicines, following receipt of a submission from the manufacturer. Where the SMC accepts a medicine, or accepts it with restrictions or on an interim basis, there is an expectation that NHS Boards will consider the medicine and make it (or its equivalent) available. This is considered by each NHS Boards’ Area Drug and Therapeutics Committee.

NHS Boards are expected to reach a decision within 90 days of being informed of the SMC advice, which provides time to consider any issues associated with the implementation of the medicine, such as changes to the care pathway and staff training. Boards should publish their decision on their website within 14 days of the decision.

The SMC appraisal is undertaken independently of Scottish Ministers and is based on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of the medicine at a population level.

The Pain Management Task Force oversees the implementation of the Framework for Pain Management Service Delivery in Scotland. Discussions at the Task Force are centred around delivery of the actions in the Implementation Plan rather than condition specific issues. While there have been no specific discussions on migraine-related issues at the Task Force, many of the actions in the Plan discussed at each Task Force meeting will benefit people with migraine, such as updated quality prescribing guidelines and the creation of a chronic pain Knowledge Hub, a resource available to all NHS Scotland staff and third sector organisations to deepen their understanding of chronic pain.

Discussions are ongoing so no formal impact assessment has been undertaken.

The Scottish Government will not bring forward any legislation in relation to the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

For the 2014 Games, the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2008 Act was passed to support Government Guarantees in relation to street trading, advertising, ticket touting, and transport and provide for the acquisition of land for facilities and the funding of the Organising Committee. However, a key condition of the Scottish Government’s support for the 2026 Commonwealth Games is that Scotland will only act within its existing legal framework. This condition has been clearly communicated to both Commonwealth Games Scotland and the Commonwealth Games Federation and is accepted by all parties.

As of the end of day 30 September 2024, the amount of journeys made by young people under the Young Persons’ (under 22) Free Bus Travel Scheme since its launch, was (a) Inverclyde – 2,578,637, (b) North Ayrshire – 4,719,775, (c) West Dunbartonshire – 2,986,088 and (d) East Dunbartonshire – 2,251,144.

Journeys are based on the local authority in which the card was issued, therefore some journeys will have been undertaken outwith the local authority area.

The Scottish Government does not offer support for individuals whose lease did not meet the criteria to convert under the Long Leases (Scotland) Act 2012.

Individuals with leases which did not convert should consider making contact with their landlord to establish whether they would be willing to consider ending the lease. Tenants should be aware that the landlord will be seeking compensation and the level will be dependent of the circumstances of the lease. Any such discussions will be a private matter which the Scottish Government will not be able to intervene or assist with. Advice from a legal adviser may be required.