Update from the Long Term Conditions Framework Rountable Event
The Neurological Alliance of Scotland attended the Long Term Conditions Framework roundtable with the Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health, on Thursday 27th November. Along with around 30 other charities we participated in a full and frank discussion about the look and feel of what is being planned.
The Long Term Conditions (LTC) Framework sits underneath the Population Health Framework (which is focussed on primary prevention and which addresses modifiable risk factors), and alongside the Service Renewal Framework (which has a similar focus as the LTCF on increasing access to care and support in the community). The LTC Framework focusses on secondary and tertiary prevention only –e.g. the steps we can take once we have already become unwell, even ahead of knowing the diagnosis.
As it is a shell framework, with the detail to be decided in the future by the Strategic Advisory Board (SAB) (details will be available in due course on who members of the SAB are), the LTC Framework carries only some very generic health outcomes which no information yet available as to how they will be implemented or measured. The SAB will be responsible for setting the priorities for specific actions within the framework, although it is unclear whether these will be condition specific actions, such as epilepsy or MS, or whether it could mean actions which apply to all neurological conditions.
The Minister was full of hope for cross-sectoral support of the framework, which may be a step closer to being achieved once all the questions that we have are fully answered. In terms of the clinical oversight of the framework, we understand that there will be a six-month window to keep existing taskforces and advisory committees in place. However, as the National Advisory Committee for Neurological Conditions appears to be very much winding down, with very low attendance for the autumn meeting, and the winter meeting cancelled, it is unclear how much impact this will have for those of us with an interest in neurological conditions.
We noted in the roundtable meeting that the Scottish Government has agreed to re-drafting the long and complex framework into a more readable and patient-friendly format and hope that this will be available on the day of publication, which is expected to be the 18th December 2025. We note that many of our members have asked for information about who is working on the LTC Framework within Scottish Government. We have asked the LTC unit for an organisational chart which we will share with you if, and when we receive it.
Once the framework is published in its final format on the 18th December, if your charity has any questions about how it will impact your organisation or community specifically, please direct these questions to the LTC unit at Scottish Government - LongTermConditions@gov.scot. For any questions about the broader nature of the Long Term Conditions framework and how it will impact neurology, please direct them to us. We will collate all questions from members and take them forward to Scottish Government in due course.
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