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On 13 December 2022 we published a report of the estimated prevalence of 28 specific neurological conditions: Neurological Conditions: estimating the prevalence in Scotland of selected conditions using GP and Hospital Admissions datasets - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

The work was initiated by the Scottish Government and supported by Public Health Scotland (PHS). Estimates were derived from GP recorded diagnoses and hospital admissions data.

The report addresses the commitment in the Neurological Care and Support: Framework for Action 2020-2025 to develop more accurate epidemiological data.

Undertaking this work has enabled us to begin looking at how neurological diagnoses are recorded in health and care records, and how we gather and report prevalence.

As well as action being taken to improve the use of digital technology across health and social care in general, as set out in our Care in the Digital Age: delivery plan 2022 to 2023 , digital technology has been used by a significant number of the projects we have funded to support delivery of the aims and commitments of the Neurological Care and Support: Framework for Action 2020-2025 . These include training resources for staff; patient and carer information; self-management tools that enable engagement with healthcare professionals before and after appointments; data gathering and healthcare surveillance systems; and engagement with service users using video technology.

I further refer the member to the Neurological Care And Support: A Framework For Action 2020-2025 – Midpoint Progress Report , which was published on 13 July 2022. The report contains case study examples of innovative projects we have funded which use digital technology to better integrate services and neurological care provision.

We have also published practical guidelines for health professionals on conducting virtual appointments in neurology, covering use of different technologies and their suitability for assessing a range of neurological conditions: Digital Consulting in Neurology | TEC Scotland . We delivered an online seminar for Allied Health Professionals to support the launch of this guidance.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-13687 on 23 January 2023. 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

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-13707 on 23 January 2023. 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

In 2019, we published a Neurological Care and Support – a National Framework for Action 2020-25 , with a vision to ensure everyone with a neurological condition can access the care and support they need to live well, on their own terms.

The aims include improving the provision of co-ordinated health and social care and support, developing sustainable workforce models and ensuring high standards of person-centred care.

Despite the disruption to health and social care services during the pandemic, we have sustained our efforts to deliver the 17 commitments of the Framework. Since October 2020 we have we have awarded £2.1 million to fund innovative projects by NHS Boards, Health and Social Care Partnerships and third sector organisations working to achieve better outcomes for people living with neurological conditions.

I further refer the member to the Neurological Care And Support: A Framework For Action 2020-2025 – Midpoint Progress Report , which was published on 13 July 2022. This report provides an update on the progress under each of the five aims in the Neurological Care And Support: A Framework For Action 2020-2025.

The Scottish Health Research Register and Biobank (SHARE) is funded by the Chief Scientist Office. SHARE has been established to create a register of people aged 11 and over and resident in Scotland who are interested in participating in health research studies, including trials in neurological conditions: https://www.registerforshare.org .

The NHS Research Scotland Neuroprogressive and Dementia Research Network is funded by the Scottish Government to deliver cutting edge clinical research in Neuroprogressive conditions and Dementia across Scotland. For example, the network has been key to the delivery in Scotland of the UK-wide MND SMART Trial, with over 200 of the 400 total trial participants as of October 2022 enrolled in Scottish centres https://www.mnd-smart.org.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-13700 on 23 January 2023. 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

Climate change will increase both the intensity and frequency of storms, flooding and high winds. The recent impact of flooding on our roads and railway is a reminder of the need to adapt our transport network to the effects of severe weather.

Action has been taken but Transport Scotland has identified the need for climate change mitigation and adaptation as a central plank in the National Transport Strategy which sets out the vison for the next decades.

Transport Scotland’s Road Operating Companies are required to undertake a series of activities aimed at improving journey time reliability by minimising the risk of unplanned disruption to the operation of the trunk road network. The Transport Scotland Manual for the Management of the Risk of Unplanned Network Disruption provides direction to Operating Companies on managing and mitigating the effects of disruptive events, such as those caused by weather events like flooding. The manual requires Operating Companies to develop and implement disruption risk processes which are informed by the formal recording of all previous events, as they occur. This includes severe weather related events such as high winds, flooding, snow and ice.

We worked with Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) to facilitate an online learning event in August 2021 to raise awareness of and build confidence amongst health and social care staff in Anticipatory Care Planning for people with neurological conditions.

This was attended by over 280 health and social care professionals working with people affected by neurological conditions, including specialist nurses and Allied Health Professionals.

The event explored how the principles of good Anticipatory Care Planning can be adapted for different neurological conditions, including for purposes much broader than end of life care.

We created a Neurological Anticipatory Care Planning webpage with HIS featuring useful tools for professionals and videos of the webinar presentations: ACP and neurological conditions - ihub | Health and social care improvement in Scotland - Anticipatory Care Planning and Neurological Conditions

Our National Workforce Strategy for Health and Social Care supports the remobilisation and recovery of health and social care services and sets out priorities for recruitment, training and retention. We anticipate that the Strategy will be used by workforce, service and financial planners across Health and Social Care at all levels.

Through this Workforce Strategy, and the NHS Recovery Plan, we are investing in staff so that they have the right skill mix and career progression opportunities.

Through our National Advisory Committee for Neurological Conditions, we are identifying priorities to strengthen the neurological workforce alongside the National Workforce Strategy, Remobilisation Plans and Rehabilitation Framework. We have scoped neurological workforce priorities and work has commenced to address these with a focus on nursing, allied health professionals (AHPs), neuropsychology and neurophysiology.

A Transforming Roles paper on Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS) was published in 2021. Through the Centre for Sustainable Delivery, an expert group has been reviewing how existing CNS competencies for neurological conditions such as epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, motor neuron disease and Parkinson’s align to Transforming Roles with a view to identifying challenges or barriers to accessing training to develop and sustain this workforce.

We are testing with NHS neurology services in the West of Scotland, a workforce capacity planning tool for Allied Health Professionals that has been developed through the Healthcare Improvement Scotland Excellence in Care programme to help ensure staffing levels are in line with safe staffing legislation. An AHP Education & Workforce review has been completed with recommendations from that review being published early this year. Thereafter work will commence on an implementation plan.

We are undertaking work to better understand specialist service provision for people in Scotland with neurological conditions, through which we aim to develop an approach to ensure reliable information and workforce data is available and informs actions.

This will consider existing roles, specialities, subspecialties, and developments in advanced Health Care Assistants, key workers and third sector speciality regarding neurological care. The process will also align with relevant commitments from the Neurological Framework, Transforming Roles agenda and the National Workforce Strategy.