Meeting of the Parliament 17 June 2026 [Last updated 18:21]
We have already provided funding for thrombectomy nurses in spoke sites to maximise the access to thrombectomy. NHS Dumfries and Galloway received £115,936 in 2025-26. Evidence from stroke services suggests that those hyperacute stroke nursing roles are already having a positive impact on the delivery of acute and hyperacute stroke care. We have funded an education package to help staff in general practices, emergency departments and the Scottish Ambulance Service to recognise stroke symptoms. In 2025, more than 1,600 NHS staff attended those education sessions. We are also procuring a national artificial intelligence solution for NHS Scotland to help all NHS boards to identify rapidly those patients who would benefit from thrombectomy.
As I said in my earlier answer, we are still committed to having a 24/7 thrombectomy service and Public Services Delivery Scotland is working with NHS boards to establish fully the resource that is required to deliver that. Once that has been established, we will work at pace to develop a delivery plan with timescales for service expansion.