Question reference: S5W-34442
- Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 11 January 2021
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Current status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 18 January 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will recompense chronic pain patients who are reportedly having to pay for private pain relief in England because some clinics have doubled their waiting times for lidocaine infusions to 12 weeks since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and, if so, by what date it will do so.
Answer
I appreciate how difficult postponement of treatment has been for people with chronic pain. We remain committed to ensuring that health boards resume a full range of specialist pain services as quickly as it is safe to do so. In September 2020 we published the COVID-19 Recovery Framework for NHS Pain Management Services to support Health Boards in this process, however we are aware of the challenges Boards are facing given the current prevalence of the virus.
The Scottish Government has consistently made clear that we will provide the necessary funding across health and care services to recognise the additional costs of responding to COVID-19 and to ensure that patient safety remains the top priority at all times. In September 2020 the Scottish Government confirmed additional funding of £1.1 billion across NHS Boards and Social Care Partnerships to help them meet COVID-19 related costs and remobilisation of services.
I cannot comment on individual cases but in general terms NHS Scotland cannot pay retrospectively for or subsidise private health care arranged independently by a patient. In addition, anybody seeking private treatment requires prior authorisation from their local Health Board before they travel.
Health Boards are expected to triage cases locally based on clinical need and in-line with advice from expert clinical organisations (such as the Faculty of Pain Medicine and the British Pain Society) on the provision and use of interventions during the pandemic to minimise the risk to patients. While the frequency of treatments will vary according to individual circumstances, I would encourage people to contact their GP or lead clinician if they are unhappy with their current care to discuss alternative treatment or for additional referral if clinically appropriate.