- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 28 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered any impact that case-by-case assessments of patients with essential tremor have on any increasing inequity in access to treatment.
Answer
The Scottish Government has not assessed the impact of case by case assessment of patients with essential tremor on inequity of access to treatment.
Clinicians are best placed to assess the eligibility of patients for any treatment to ensure the treatment doesn’t cause further harm and will have a positive impact on the patient’s life.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 28 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of clinicians' awareness of magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) treatment.
Answer
The Scottish Government recognises the benefits magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) could provide to eligible patients with essential tremor. However, we have not assessed clinicians’ awareness of MRgFUS.
NHS National Services Division continue to work with NHS Tayside to support an application to designate MRgFUS as a national specialist service. Once received, the application will be considered by the National Specialist Services Committee (NSSC) who will take into account any evidence to support introduction of the service.
If approved, appropriate communications will be carried out within the NHS to ensure relevant clinicians are aware of the service availability.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 28 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to offer funding to the University of Dundee to support timely access to magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) treatment for patients with essential tremor.
Answer
The Scottish Government currently has no plans to offer funding to the University of Dundee to support access to magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) treatment for patients with essential tremor.
NHS National Services Division continue to work with NHS Tayside to support an application to designate MRgFUS as a national specialist service. Once received, the application will be considered by the National Specialist Services Committee (NSSC) who will take into account any evidence to support the service introduction as well as any financial implications.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 28 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any positive impact of magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) treatment on a patient’s quality of life.
Answer
The Scottish Government recognises the benefits magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) could provide to eligible patients with essential tremor. However, we do not formally assess the impact of clinical interventions.
NHS National Services Division continue to work with NHS Tayside to support an application to designate MRgFUS as a national specialist service. Once received, the application will be considered by the National Specialist Services Committee (NSSC) who will take into account any evidence to support introduction of the service.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 28 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any benefit of routinely offering magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) treatment to patients with essential tremor.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not formally assess the impact of clinical interventions.
NHS National Services Division continue to work with NHS Tayside to support an application to designate MRgFUS as a national specialist service. Once received, the application will be considered by the National Specialist Services Committee (NSSC) who will take into account any evidence to support introduction of the service.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 28 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to ensure that the referral pathway for magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) treatment for patients with essential tremor is clear and easy to understand.
Answer
There are currently two referral pathways which are being utilised by clinicians in Scotland to allow patients to access magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) treatment for essential tremor.
Patients who are eligible for magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) for essential tremor can be referred to NHS Tayside in conjunction with the University of Dundee, this is currently not a nationally commissioned specialist service.
Patients can also be referred to London or Liverpool for assessment or treatment. Referrals to services in NHS England are considered through the standard national funding routes for out of area referrals through NSS.
Discussions are ongoing with NHS Tayside to designate MRgFUS as a national specialist service however at present, no new application has been received. NSD will continue to work with the MRgFUS team in NHS Tayside in the meantime.
If a MRgFUS service is designated to NHS Tayside relevant communications will be made to ensure clinicians are aware of the revised referral pathway.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 28 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the appointment of the new Minister for Transport, whether the minister will meet with the Rest and Be Thankful action group separately from A83 Task Force meetings.
Answer
The Scottish Government is fully committed to improving the A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful and to engagement and meaningful dialogue with directly affected communities and other stakeholders. I am grateful for the continuing interest the A83 Rest and Be Thankful Campaign Group has in the scheme development process and I will continue the positive engagement the Scottish Government has had with them to date. Subject to parliamentary business, I would be pleased to meet with the group to discuss the scheme and our commitment to developing an infrastructure solution to address the landslip risks at the A83 Rest and Be Thankful.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 28 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how much was spent on the Rest and Be Thankful from the Motorways and Trunk Roads Spending Plans budget for 2022-23.
Answer
In 2022-23, £6.554m was spent on the continuing maintenance and short-term measures for the A83 Rest and Be Thankful, and £3.913m was spent progressing the design and development of the both the medium and long term solutions to the landslip risks at the Rest and Be Thankful.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 28 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding is reserved for a (a) medium- and (b) long-term solution for the Rest and Be Thankful from the Motorways and Trunk Roads Spending Plans budget for 2023-24.
Answer
Spend on our trunk road improvement projects is managed within the Capital Land and Works allocation of £121.9 million as part of the Motorway and Trunk Roads Spending Plans set out in the Scottish Budget: 2023-24. This covers preparation and delivery of a range of projects and programmes including A9 Dualling Perth to Inverness, the medium and long term solutions at the A83 Rest and Be Thankful and improvements to the A96 corridor as well as a number of other projects and programmes. Spend on each individual project is managed with the Capital Land and Works allocation budget line which reflects the scope of work anticipated to be taken forward within the financial year.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 28 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding is reserved for the A96 dualling Inverness to Aberdeen programme from the Motorways and Trunk Roads Spending Plans budget for 2023-24.
Answer
Spend on our trunk road improvement projects is managed within the Capital Land and Works allocation of £121.9 million as part of the Motorway and Trunk Roads Spending Plans set out in the Scottish Budget: 2023-24. This covers preparation and delivery of a range of projects and programmes including A9 Dualling Perth to Inverness, the A83 Rest and Be Thankful medium and long options and improvements to the A96 corridor as well as a number of other projects and programmes. Spend on each individual project is managed with the Capital Land and Works allocation budget line which reflects the scope of work anticipated to be taken forward within the financial year.
