Chamber and committees

We welcome the report facilitated by Epilepsy Scotland on the impact of Covid-19 on people with epilepsy in Scotland.

We recognise this is a worrying and distressing time for everyone, including those with specific health and social care needs. In order to assist people with long-term conditions to understand the risks of Covid-19 and to signpost them to resources that can provide support, we have published guidance available at https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-tailored-advice-for-those-who-live-withspecific-medical-conditions/ . This includes information about the national helpline (0800 111 4000) that enables people to access wider support such as food and medicine deliveries, and emotional wellbeing.

We remain committed to improving neurological care and support in Scotland, as set out in the National Framework published at the end of last year. Over the past few months we have kept in regular contact with stakeholders including the many third sector neurological organisations that represent the neurological community in Scotland, and a newly established clinical network across all Health Boards. This has helped us monitor activity and understand the priorities and challenges. While non-urgent elective appointments have been postposed, services have dramatically increased the use of telephone and/or Near Me video consultations to ensure people continue to be able to access care throughout the pandemic. Other digital healthcare innovations have included the use of the vCreate cloud-based service, which enables transfer of short recorded video in healthcare settings. This new service was deployed to all Scottish intensive care units during Covid-19 and has been adapted to enable patients and carers to share seizure videos for remote clinical interpretation and management advice. The Chief Nursing Officer also asked Nursing Directors to ensure they prioritise community support for the most vulnerable. We are now working with Health Boards as they consider how all services can be safely and incrementally re-mobilised.

We are listening to experiences such as those highlighted by Epilepsy Scotland and using these views to inform ongoing decisions about our response to the current public health emergency, as set out through the Framework for Decision Making and more recently Scotland’s Route Map through and out of the crisis. This includes understanding more about the harms from Covid-19, harms from disruption to non-Covid-19 health and social care, and harms from the introduction of physical distancing and impact of loss of wider freedoms on wellbeing and lifestyles.

We are therefore working with partners across the UK, through the National Institute for Health Research, and also through investment in 55 rapid research projects via our Chief Scientist Office in Scotland, to better understand the impact of Covid-19. Further information is available at https://www.cso.scot.nhs.uk/rapid-research-in-covid-19-programme/ .