Chamber and committees

The Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014 provides the legislative framework for integration of health and social care services in Scotland. The integration of health and social care will tackle the challenge of ensuring a consistent provision of quality, sustainable care services for people who need joined-up, integrated support and care, particularly for those with multiple complex, long term conditions such as multiple sclerosis.

Furthermore, in 2016-17, we are investing £250 million through health and social care partnerships to protect and grow social care services.

The development of all future standards or indicators will reflect the integration agenda. This will be supported by appropriate collaboration between the Care Inspectorate, Healthcare Improvement Scotland and other stakeholders in the design of these measures.

The National Clinical Strategy, published on 17 February 2016, sets out a clear vision for the development of sustainable health and social care services across Scotland for the next 10-15 years. Simultaneously, the integration of health and social care will tackle the challenge of ensuring a consistent provision of quality, sustainable care services for people who need joined-up, integrated support and care – particularly for those with multiple complex, long term conditions.

Furthermore, in 2016-17, we are investing £250 million through health and social care partnerships to protect and grow social care services.

Healthcare Improvement Scotland will be conducting a scoping exercise to assess the currency and relevance of the clinical standards for neurological health services. This is planned to run from September to December 2016. This will include consideration of other relevant standards and guidance including the new national care standards. Healthcare Improvement Scotland will make recommendations on the future of the standards based on the outcome of this work.

We are looking at this report and the wide range of issues raised, and will consider our position in relation to the recommendations.

The initial two year work plan for the new National Advisory Committee for Neurological Conditions is currently being developed. The issue of data collection on neurological conditions is one which the expert group will consider, alongside other priorities for action. Any decision to take forward work on this issue will be closely related to the outcome of the Healthcare Improvement Scotland review of the clinical standards for neurological conditions.

NHS Scotland provides high quality care across a range of services and treatment for people living with multiple sclerosis.

The recently published national clinical strategy makes it clear that we want everyone who needs it, including people living with neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis, to receive safe, effective and person centred care in their own home or as close to home as possible.

GPs and pharmacists are bound by codes of practice which set out expected standards of care for their patients, including the provision of treatment. Any discussions about that treatment should be a matter for the healthcare professional, using their clinical expertise and judgement.

The Scottish Government recently published A New Future for Social Security in Scotland which sets out the vision and principles which will govern decisions on social security policy and delivery in Scotland.

The document states our intention to introduce long-term awards for qualifying individuals with long-term conditions. Wherever possible assessments for these people will be paper-based rather than face-to-face.

We will continue to engage with a range of stakeholders as we work out the detail of how disability benefits in Scotland will operate.

Our health service provides high quality care across a range of neurological services provided by NHS boards. The recently published National Clinical Strategy makes it clear that we want everyone, including people with neurological conditions, to receive care in their own homes or as close to home as possible.

To that end, we have increased our funding for specific projects to improve services and experiences for people with neurological conditions. In 2015-16, we invested £210,000, which was almost three times as much funding as the previous year. In addition to this, in 2016-17 we are investing £250 million a year through health and social care partnerships to protect and grow social care services. We are also investing an additional £11.6 million to implement self-directed support. This will increase the availability of social care, allowing more people to receive the care and support they need at home, living as independently as possible, and sharing their lives with their family and friends.

Dr John Paul Leach was also recently appointed as the new chair to the National Advisory Committee for Neurological Conditions, the successor group to the National Neurological Advisory Group. We are currently working with Dr Leach to put in place the group’s leadership team and a new work plan for the committee to focus on over the next two years.