NHS patients sent south for chronic pain treatment: SNP must embrace all healthcare options

Figures released today show that eight of Scotland's fourteen territorial health boards have sent patients suffering with chronic pain for treatment at the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases in Bath.

The total cost so far in the first half of the 2010-11 year has been £206,685.

Murdo Fraser MSP, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health & Wellbeing, said:

"This is the second example this week of the NHS in England appearing to offer a better service in some areas than our NHS in Scotland. The revelation that certain cancer drugs are available south of the border and not here can be dealt with via the £10m Cancer Drugs Fund proposed by the Scottish Conservatives.

"Now we learn that over £200,000 has been spent in the first half of 2010-11 sending Scottish patients with chronic pain to the south of England. If the appropriate treatment is not available closer to home via our NHS then we have to look at working in tandem with independent providers to utilise these services.

"Yet the SNP Government refuses to embrace all the options, instead preferring outdated dogma. Until they change this approach, we will make no progress and continue to spend money that could go on providing more frontline NHS staff."

The relevant figure is below

S3W-37826 - Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab) (Date Lodged Wednesday, November 24, 2010): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost to individual NHS boards of sending patients with chronic pain to pain management centres outside of Scotland was in (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10 and has been in 2010-11.

Answered by Nicola Sturgeon (Friday, December 10, 2010): The cost of sending patients with chronic pain to pain management centres outside Scotland was:

(a) 2008-09 - £229,559

(b) 2009-10 - £184,937

(c) 2010-11 - £206,685 for the first six months

These costs are shared across all NHS boards as part of the national risk share arrangements administered by National Services Division. A board's contribution is calculated on its percentage share of the baseline allocation.

There has been an increase in the referrals of patients being treated in 2010-11 in comparison to previous years. This is due to outreach clinics now being held in Scotland where the consultant can see a greater number of patients for assessment which has led to an increase in patients being referred outside of Scotland.

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