- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 August 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 8 September 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to reduce diagnostic waiting times for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in NHS Lanarkshire.
Answer
I refer the Member to the answer to question S6W-40018 on 8 September 2025, which outlines work that the Scottish Government is doing with all Health Boards, including NHS Lanarkshire. 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
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 August 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 8 September 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to ensure that patients with a private attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis can access any medication that they need through NHS services.
Answer
Some NHS Boards may have shared care policies, but it remains at the clinical discretion of each individual GP to decide the best course of action for their patients. A recommendation from a private specialist for a particular medicine does not entitle the patient to NHS prescriptions for that medicine.
The National Autism Implementation Team (NAIT) published guidance on Prescribing ADHD medication to adults following private sector diagnosis in Scotland in April 2022. This guidance is available to practitioners and patients.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 August 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 8 September 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to reduce adult diagnostic waiting times for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) across Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Government funds the National Autism Implementation Team (NAIT), which is currently supporting NHS Boards to develop, enhance and redesign existing local adult neurodevelopmental services. We continue scope the work required to improve Adult Neurodevelopmental Pathways nationally, understanding that a stepped care model is needed to reduce waiting times for adult neurodevelopmental assessments and ensure a consistent approach to them across Scotland.
We continue to fund NHS Education for Scotland and NAIT to deliver professional learning on neurodevelopmental conditions. Training is offered at informed, enhanced, specialist, and expert levels, with strong uptake across all tiers.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 August 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 4 September 2025
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it continues to operate an "all-or-nothing” funding policy that withdraws all NHS IVF support when couples procure donor eggs privately, and what its response is to reported concerns that this policy is forcing those who cannot secure altruistic NHS donors within a four-year timeframe to pay twice for fertility treatment.
Answer
The Scottish Government is clear that patients should not pay for any part of their NHS treatment, and NHS patients are not permitted to use purchased donor eggs for NHS treatment. However, NHS treatment should not be withdrawn from patients who purchase their own donor eggs for use in future private treatment. If a patient is unhappy with the care they have received, they should contact their NHS Board who have responsibility for delivering services.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 15 August 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 4 September 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that, when the Scottish Ministers make decisions to allow development under the Electricity Act 1989, they are meeting the requirements of the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 for all public bodies to further the conservation of biodiversity when carrying out their responsibilities.
Answer
The Scottish Ministers make decisions on applications in accordance with legislative requirements and relevant policy. Energy consent applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis, with all relevant information considered to ensure balanced decision-making. This includes environmental information, consultee responses from public bodies and representations from the public.
All information related to determinations made by the Scottish Ministers in respect of onshore wind farm developments, including any conditions to mitigate biodiversity impacts, is publicly available on our Energy Consents portal: https://www.energyconsents.scot/ApplicationSearch.aspx
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 August 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 4 September 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what measures are being put in place to ensure there is external audit and peer review of audiology services, as recommended in the Independent Review of Audiology Services in Scotland report.
Answer
Scottish Audiology Heads of Service have recently initiated an in house peer review process and are continuing to see positive results from this. As part of Improving Quality in Physiological Services (IQIPS) benchmarking, a mapping exercise is currently underway which includes the consideration of national peer review for audiology services.
An executive lead group for audiology has been reestablished, with representation from each NHS Territorial Health Board to consider the outputs and next steps of this work, which will conclude within the current financial year.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 August 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 4 September 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to amending NHS fertility guidelines to ensure that embryo creation and implantation remain funded when privately sourced donor eggs are used, provided that they meet UK safety and quality standards, in order to eliminate any discrimination against couples based solely on the origin of donor gametes.
Answer
The Scottish Government expects NHS Boards to meet the needs of couples who are eligible for NHS fertility treatment and require donor gametes (eggs and sperm) for that treatment. We have always been clear that couples who are eligible for NHS fertility treatment should not pay for any aspect of their treatment, and this includes the purchase and use of donor gametes.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 August 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 4 September 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made regarding supporting NHS boards to achieve Improving Quality in Physiological Services (IQIPS) accreditation for audiology services.
Answer
The Scottish Government has committed funding to all territorial Health Boards to undertake Improving Quality in Physiological Services (IQIPS) benchmarking throughout the current financial year.
An executive lead group for audiology has been reestablished, with representation from each NHS Territorial Health Board to consider the outputs and next steps of this work, which will conclude within the current financial year.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 August 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 4 September 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how NHS Lanarkshire is addressing the recommendations of the Independent Review of Audiology in Scotland report, and whether it will publish a detailed delivery plan for audiology services.
Answer
A programme of work to address recommendations of the Independent Review of Audiology Services in Scotland has now concluded and each of the 55 recommendations updated.
In line with agreed governance structures processes, all NHS Territorial Health Boards have established Local Improvement Plans for 2023-24 and were instructed by Scottish Government to outline their governance, reporting and management processes through a Local Assurance Framework in 2024, as well as, requiring the inclusion of audiology in their 2025-26 Annual Delivery Plans.
It would be for NHS Lanarkshire to make the decision to publish these plans.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 August 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 4 September 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that audiology services are compliant with the British Sign Language (Scotland) Act 2015, and whether enforcement mechanisms are in place.
Answer
The Scottish Government instructed NHS Territorial Health Boards to outline their governance, reporting and management processes through a Local Assurance Framework in 2024, as well as, requiring the inclusion of audiology in their 2025-26 Annual Delivery Plans.
Decisions regarding accessibility policy and planning of this nature are made by individual Health Boards based on local priorities and needs. Boards are expected to assess the impact of their policies and functions on people with protected characteristics and equality groups in line with statutory requirements.