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Families told us, as part of the Best Start engagement process, that they wanted the best care possible for their babies. Evidence tells us that the very smallest and sickest babies will get the best outcomes if they care cared for in high volume units.

This change will affect families in many different parts of Scotland, and the Chief Executive of Bliss sits on the Best Start Programme Board and was a participant in the options appraisal process, representing the views of neonatal families.

Scottish Government will be consulting with families in the affected areas on implementation of the new model, so that we can take account of their concerns when the pathways and processes for the new model of care are designed. This will affect a very small number of families, however, it is important that we hear the voices of those families to input into design of service delivery.

Neonatal units will also continue to seek parent feedback locally to ensure opportunities to improve experiences of care for families are identified.

This Government understands the critical role of rehabilitation in supporting people affected by chest, heart, and stroke conditions, long COVID and other long-term health conditions. We are committed to ensuring that all adults who require rehabilitation have timely access to the right information and services by the end of 2025 through our Once for Scotland Rehabilitation Approach.

The New Model of Neonatal Care is aimed at the most premature and sickest of babies and is based on a review of evidence carried out by Dr Anna Gavine, Dr Steve MacGillivray and Prof Mary Renfrew of the University of Dundee and a summary of the evidence review is published within The Best Start ( Appendix H ).

The evidence showed that outcomes for very low birth weight babies (VLBW) are better when they are delivered and treated in Neonatal Intensive Care Units with full support services, experienced staff and a critical mass of activity (expert recommendation defines this as care for a minimum of 100 VLBW babies a year).

This evidence has since strengthened with the publication in 2021 of the British Association for Perinatal Medicine (BAPM) Framework for Practice , which sets out optimal arrangements for neonatal intensive care.

As set out in the Programme for Government, we are committed to prioritising capital spending to achieve net zero and maintain high quality public infrastructure across Scotland. We have been consistently open about the challenges facing our capital investment plans and tough decisions will need to be taken at the 2024-25 Budget to ensure we remain fiscally sustainable.

The challenging economic conditions of the last few years resulting from Brexit and high inflation as well as the real terms fall in the capital grant allocation from the UK Government has significantly impacted our ability to deliver on all capital infrastructure commitments. Given the economic challenges we face, we have committed to refreshing the multi-year capital spending envelopes and resetting the infrastructure project pipeline, including road projects, alongside the 2024-25 Budget.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all adults who require rehabilitation have timely access to the right information and services by the end of 2025 through our Once for Scotland Rehabilitation Approach. This is supported by NHS Boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships, encouraging cross-sector working with third and leisure sectors to support community-based services and supported self-management. We are working with key partners to deliver this, and various measures are already in place to support delivery for people with chest, heart and stroke conditions.

The Best Start Implementation Programme Board was tasked with taking forward implementation of the recommendations within Best Start. The Programme Board set up the Perinatal Sub Group and asked it to take forward the Neonatal Intensive Care work, including an options appraisal process to identify the final three units. The Perinatal Sub Group comprises clinical experts, including the chair of the Scottish Neonatal Consultants Group, the chair of the Scottish neonatal nurses group, the Scottish Clinical Lead for neonatology, the Scottish clinical representative from the National Neonatal Audit Programme, the neonatal consultant lead for the neonatal transport service, senior management representation from the Scottish Ambulance Service, a Head of midwifery, the Scottish Clinical Lead for Obstetrics, the Chief Executive of the neonatal charity, Bliss and is chaired by a Health Board Medical Director and Deputy Chief Executive.

The Expert Group that agreed the short list criteria and weighting for the options appraisal comprised the following experts (representing roles that held at that time):

• Helen Mactier, consultant neonatologist and Honorary Secretary of President of British Association of Perinatal Medicine (BAPM)
• Gopi Menon, consultant neonatologist and President of BAPM
• Alan Fenton, Consultant Neonatologist, immediate past President of BAPM, and Chair of Independent Advisory Group for the National Neonatal Audit Programme;
• Corinne Love, Consultant Obstetrician, Scottish Government Senior Medical Officer;
• Eddie Doyle, Senior Medical Advisor, Scottish Government Paediatrics and Neonatal.

Funding allocated to Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) is for both alcohol and drug treatment services. In 2022-23, £106.8 million was made available to ADPs, increasing to £112.9 million in 2023-24. This funding is used to ensure that local services meet the needs of people who experience alcohol and drugs harms.

On 7 September 2023 I supported a Member’s Debate Motion calling for investment in alcohol services - outlining the Government’s plan to reduce harm from alcohol misuse. The plan includes measures to improve access to treatment and support, including through stabilisation and crisis management, expansion in local assertive outreach services and increasing the availability of residential rehabilitation placements. The plan also includes working with partners and stakeholders to implement alcohol treatment standards – building on the forthcoming UK-wide Clinical Alcohol Treatment Guidelines which are currently out for public consultation until 8 December 2023.

The Scottish Government is considering all of the recommendations made as part of the Independent Review of Audiology Services in Scotland.

Although it is NHS Boards who are responsible for ensuring staff receive the appropriate training and ongoing development to be able to undertake their role safely and effectively, in response to the concerns highlighted by the Independent Review the Scottish Government has provided Health Boards with £26,000 to support further training in auditory brainstem response (ABR) assessment for staff working in paediatric audiology services.

Scotland’s national health information service, NHS Inform aims to provide the people of Scotland with accurate and relevant information to help them make informed decisions about their own health and the health of the people they care for.

NHS Inform provides health information for people living with long COVID, chest, heart and stroke conditions, including advice on management of common symptoms, health-related anxiety and when to seek further information from healthcare professionals.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-22410 on 7 November 2023. 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