Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government expects health boards to plan and prioritise the delivery of healthcare services, including outreach chemotherapy services, based on the needs of local people and as informed by national policies, frameworks and guidelines, with patient safety being of paramount concern.

The Scottish Government would expect local health boards to take all appropriate steps to ensure that people can receive the support and care they need, wherever they wish to receive it.

With this in mind, it is important to note that it is for health boards to plan and prioritise the delivery of healthcare services based on the needs of local people and as informed by national policies, frameworks and guidelines, with patient safety being of paramount concern. Given the complexity of the treatment of some cancers not all treatments are available outside of the five cancer centres in Scotland. This means that, in some cases, travel will be essential.

It is for health boards to plan and prioritise the delivery of healthcare services based on the needs of local people, including the consideration of local socio-economic conditions, taking into account national policies, frameworks and guidelines, with patient safety being of paramount concern.

We fully expect health boards to share good practice and learn from each other in order to improve cancer services and outcomes in Scotland. However, it is for health boards to plan and prioritise the delivery of healthcare services based on the needs of local people and as informed by national policies, frameworks and guidelines, with patient safety being of paramount concern.

It is worth noting that the service provided by NHS Orkney is only one example of rural chemotherapy services being provided in Scotland, with others being Western Isles Hospital and the community hospital in Lochgilphead. These services are developed and supported to facilitate access to simple and safe cancer treatments for the local communities.

The Scottish Government has a longstanding policy of shifting the balance of care by supporting people to remain at home independently for as long as possible, rather than in care homes or hospitals.

We recognise that only a small proportion of older people will live in new build housing but that it is important that new housing makes the maximum impact, meeting the needs of an ageing population.

Scottish Planning Policy requires local authorities to set a housing supply target (HST) within their Local Development Plans which is a realistic estimate of the number of houses which will be delivered in their areas over the periods of these plans. The HST should also be reflected in the authority’s Local Housing Strategy.

It is for local authorities to determine the appropriate level of housing required for older people within the HST based on guidance issued by the Scottish Government including Age, Home and Community: A Strategy for Housing for Scotland's Older People: 2012 – 2021, Scottish Planning Policy, housing need and demand assessments guidance, local housing strategies guidance and other housing and planning policies.

It is for local authorities to determine whether developer contributions towards affordable housing are required, taking into account the level of affordable housing that can be delivered in the current economic climate as part of a viable housing development.

Many organisations are involved in the delivery of housing and support services to older people. These include local authorities which have strategic responsibility for identifying local housing need and demand, housing associations, as well as private and voluntary sector providers. Age, Home and Community, the national strategy for housing for Scotland’s older people, recognises that owner occupancy remains higher among older people than the general population. It is therefore important that new housing for sale in Scotland is accessible and adaptable and meets the requirements of an aging population. Private developers provide a variety of housing for sale for older people from retirement properties (similar to sheltered housing) to assisted living developments akin to very sheltered housing. We will continue to work closely with public and private sector housing providers to ensure the needs and choices of older people are met, enabling them to live safely and independently at home for as long as possible.

The Scottish Government provides a framework of housing and planning policies, including Scottish Planning Policy and guidance on local housing strategies, to support local authorities, who have strategic responsibility for housing within their areas, to determine the appropriate mix of new housing. It is therefore for local authorities to decide the type, tenure, size and location of new housing for their areas and to take a view on the level of housing required for older and disabled people though their Local Development Plans and local housing strategies in accordance with national guidance.

The following table provides NHS Scotland level expenditure on drugs for the latest four years available. Expenditure broken down by pharmaceutical company is not centrally available.

NHS drugs expenditure for family health service, community and hospital sectors

Source: Scottish Health Service Costs (known as the Costs Book)

It is for health boards to plan and prioritise the delivery of healthcare services based on the needs of local people and as informed by national policies, frameworks and guidelines. Patient safety is of paramount concern.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has kept the provision of local chemotherapy services under review to ensure they are of the highest quality. This has included specific consideration of the provision of outpatient chemotherapy services at Stobhill Hospital. Such services have not been provided at Stobhill for over a decade. The health board currently believes that the provision of this service would be unsafe and unsustainable but have committed to keeping the position under review.