Hansard

The Convener Lab

Agenda item 4 is an evidence-taking session on access to new medicines. I welcome to the meeting Shona Robison, Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and S...

The Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport (Shona Robison) SNP

I am very pleased to be here this morning to talk to the committee about access to new medicines. As we enter the last few weeks of the parliamentary session...

The Convener Lab

Thank you, cabinet secretary. Our first questions will be from Nanette Milne.

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con) Con

Cabinet secretary, I share your enthusiasm about progress so far and agree with you that more can be made. On the distribution of spending from the new medi...

Shona Robison SNP

As the new medicines fund ensures that boards can deliver the policy intentions of the Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament, it is the boards that...

Nanette Milne Con

Witnesses at last week’s round-table discussion seemed unclear about which boards were using all their funds. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said that it was ...

Shona Robison SNP

We have asked boards to inform us immediately if they have any concerns about their funding allocation, mainly on the basis of its being sufficient to meet a...

Nanette Milne Con

That would be welcome. In our discussion, we heard that people did not know how many patients were being treated, what therapies were being provided and so o...

Shona Robison SNP

What happens beyond the current PPRS agreement is an important issue. As the committee will be aware, the scheme is negotiated between the United Kingdom Gov...

The Convener Lab

I am looking for some clarity on the information that this and a future health committee will get and in what timeframe with regard to a breakdown of the spe...

Shona Robison SNP

We want to furnish you with as much information as possible. As I have said, things have been complicated by an FOI request that has delayed our putting out ...

Dr Rose Marie Parr (Scottish Government)

Transparency is an important issue. We definitely want to give information on that matter where we can; indeed, it is important that we do so. With the new ...

The Convener Lab

The cabinet secretary might be intending to publish all that information, but I presume that information about, say, total spend on drugs that have not been ...

Shona Robison SNP

We would want to publish as much information as possible. I suppose that where we get into difficult territory is where an association can be made between in...

Angiolina Foster (Healthcare Improvement Scotland)

I simply endorse the comments that have been made. With regard to our fundamental desire for maximum transparency, the trade-off is the commercial in confide...

The Convener Lab

The committee is trying to judge what would have been available anyway and what is now available that was not previously available, because that is what will...

Shona Robison SNP

As PPRS receipts are expected to be lower across the whole of the UK, not just across Scotland, this is an issue across the board. The funding is based on an...

The Convener Lab

So this year’s shortfall, as described in last week’s evidence by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde representatives, will not impact on patients or patient acces...

Shona Robison SNP

No. We will work with boards to manage that and ensure that there is no detriment to patients.

The Convener Lab

Does that mean that the Scottish Government will make up that shortfall this year?

Shona Robison SNP

As I have said, we have asked boards whether they anticipate any problems with the resources and the demand that they have. At the moment, they have told us ...

The Convener Lab

As a matter of interest, would that include NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, which told us last week about a shortfall?

Shona Robison SNP

Yes.

Dr Parr

It absolutely would.

The Convener Lab

Is it the case, then, that this will not impact on patients and that it can be overcome either by health boards or by the Scottish Government?

Shona Robison SNP

Yes.

The Convener Lab

Is there any way of forecasting whether this year will be just a blip or whether there be an impact over the next session of Parliament?

Dr Parr

That is a good point, because horizon scanning in this area is quite difficult. However, although it is difficult to predict future spend, the Scottish Gover...

The Convener Lab

Does that mean that there will be increasing pressure on the money for funding this scheme?

Dr Parr

There will probably be increasing pressure on the new medicines fund money, but it is definitely not at risk just now. I think that it is reasonable.