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The Distress Brief Intervention (DBI) Programme is live in all 31 HSCPs across Scotland providing timely support to those in distress and easing pressures on frontline services.

In November the programme reached the milestone of 100,000 referrals.

Over the coming months, the Scottish Government will be working with our partners to review how well DBI has been embedded, and what else may be needed moving forward to strengthen it. Our focus will be on the sustainability of the programme, and maintaining the right level of support to frontline services.

Assessments of respiratory prevalence and emergency hospital admissions are produced and published by Public Health Scotland, including data for NHS Grampian and national averages. The Scottish Government draws on these official statistics rather than undertaking separate board-level assessments.

Public Health Scotland (PHS) data shows that respiratory conditions are a major contributor to unplanned hospital demand. Emergency inpatient activity accounts for almost half of all hospital admissions nationally, reflecting sustained pressure on acute services. Longer term projections indicate that unplanned acute inpatient admissions for respiratory conditions are expected to rise by around 23% between 2024 and 2034, confirming the growing burden of respiratory illness across Scotland. A link to PHS data can be found at: Projecting future demand for health and care services in Scotland (2024-2034) - Long term service demand projections in Scotland - Publications - Public Health Scotland.

The Scottish Government recognises these pressures and is taking action. We recently published the NHS Scotland Operational Improvement Plan, the Scotland's Population Health Framework and the Health and Social Care Service Renewal Framework in which we outline our shared, long-term vision for reforming and renewing health and social care services to ensure they are more sustainable, preventative, and equitable.

Our Respiratory Care Action Plan for Scotland has supported national work to strengthen prevention, diagnosis, care and support for people living with respiratory conditions. Through the Centre for Sustainable Delivery, national pathways are being developed for severe asthma, COPD, sleep apnoea and interstitial lung disease. Work is also underway to improve access to pulmonary rehabilitation, a key intervention for people with chronic respiratory conditions.

This work supports resilience across the health system throughout the year, including during periods of increased pressure. Prioritising prevention, early detection and supporting effective long term self-management helps reduce avoidable exacerbations which often drive urgent and unscheduled demand during winter.

Assessments of respiratory prevalence and emergency hospital admissions are produced and published by Public Health Scotland, including data for NHS Grampian and national averages. The Scottish Government draws on these official statistics rather than undertaking separate board-level assessments.

Public Health Scotland (PHS) data shows that respiratory conditions are a major contributor to unplanned hospital demand. Emergency inpatient activity accounts for almost half of all hospital admissions nationally, reflecting sustained pressure on acute services. Longer term projections indicate that unplanned acute inpatient admissions for respiratory conditions are expected to rise by around 23% between 2024 and 2034, confirming the growing burden of respiratory illness across Scotland. A link to PHS data can be found at: Projecting future demand for health and care services in Scotland (2024-2034) - Long term service demand projections in Scotland - Publications - Public Health Scotland.

The Scottish Government recognises these pressures and is taking action. We recently published the NHS Scotland Operational Improvement Plan, the Scotland's Population Health Framework and the Health and Social Care Service Renewal Framework in which we outline our shared, long-term vision for reforming and renewing health and social care services to ensure they are more sustainable, preventative, and equitable.

Our Respiratory Care Action Plan for Scotland has supported national work to strengthen prevention, diagnosis, care and support for people living with respiratory conditions. Through the Centre for Sustainable Delivery, national pathways are being developed for severe asthma, COPD, sleep apnoea and interstitial lung disease. Work is also underway to improve access to pulmonary rehabilitation, a key intervention for people with chronic respiratory conditions.

This work supports resilience across the health system throughout the year, including during periods of increased pressure. Prioritising prevention, early detection and supporting effective long term self-management helps reduce avoidable exacerbations which often drive urgent and unscheduled demand during winter.

Ferguson Marine does not currently attract any level of subsidy; the contractual payment amounts have reduced due to MV Glen Rosa reaching its final stages of the build project.

Scottish Government recognises that families play a vital role in supporting children and young people while they are in hospital, and the cost of visiting should not be a barrier to providing that support.

Financial support for travel to hospital appointments is available through NHS Board patient travel expenses reimbursement schemes such as the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) and the Patient Travel Expenses Scheme (PTES). Under these schemes, patients and authorised escorts may reclaim reasonable travel costs associated with attending hospital appointments, subject to eligibility criteria and clinical requirements. These arrangements apply across Scotland and provide support to eligible young people and their families irrespective of condition

In some cases, the family of a young cancer patient may be eligible for support under the Young Patient Family Fund (YPFF). This would be if the cancer patient is under 18 years of age and receiving inpatient treatment. In such an instance, the parents, primary carers and/or siblings (aged under 18 years) of the young inpatient could claim under YPFF if they are ordinarily resident in Scotland and have incurred allowable expenses as a result of a hospital visit. Full YPFF terms and conditions can be found here - https://www.mygov.scot/young-patients-family-fund/help-and-support.

The opening Health Capital position in each year begins with a projected overcommitment that is then managed to arrive at a breakeven outturn position.

The following table provides a forecast of costs in 2026-27 under a breakeven assumption, but are subject to change as the year progresses.

The Scottish Government is committed to delivering on mental health distress response, with continued delivery on Programme for Government commitments since 2023 to reducing mental health demands on police officers and protecting people in mental health distress through improved frontline multi-agency responses.

Data on Police response to mental health or welfare-related call-outs is not held by the Scottish Government. Statistics reported to the Scottish Police Authority Policing and Performance Committee in September 2025 show that mental health related incidents recorded by Police Scotland are dropping, so far reducing by 1% between 2023-24 and 2024-25.

The Young Patients Family Fund (YPFF) is designed to support the families of all babies, children and young people from birth to age 18 who require inpatient care in Scotland regardless of diagnosis.

Financial support for travel to hospital appointments is available through the patient travel expenses reimbursement schemes. Under these schemes, patients and authorised escorts may reclaim reasonable travel costs associated with attending hospital appointments, subject to eligibility criteria and clinical requirements. These arrangements apply across Scotland and provide support to eligible young people and their families irrespective of condition.

Scottish Government officials met with counterparts in the UK Department of Health and Social Care in March 2025 as part of wider engagement on the development of their National Cancer Plan for England. During this meeting, officials shared learning on the implementation and administration of the Young Patients Family Fund.

The Scottish Government’s strategic direction for respiratory care is currently set through the Respiratory Care Action Plan for Scotland. This work supports resilience across the health system throughout the year, including during periods of increased pressure. Prioritising prevention, early detection and effective long term management helps reduce avoidable exacerbations which often drive urgent and unscheduled demand during winter.

The Scottish Government is aware of calls from respiratory stakeholders in England for a Modern Service Framework focused on respiratory care. To clarify, the UK Government has not introduced such a framework. Modern Service Frameworks are being developed for major conditions such as cardiovascular disease and dementia, but respiratory conditions are not currently included.

The Scottish Government will continue to monitor emerging approaches from across the UK while taking forward our long term, evidence informed approach.

A national programme of work to address recommendations of the Independent Review of Audiology Services in Scotland was concluded in 2025. A final report was produced which sets out how recommendations have either been implemented and completed, or embedded in longer term work programmes within the health and social care system.

This report is available at: Implementing-the-Recommendations-from-the-IRASS-March-2025.pdf