Lorry Drivers, Politicians and Sleep Apnoea

The motion

That the Parliament welcomes the exhibition in the Garden Lobby from 18 to 20 April 2006 on sleep disorders; notes that in such conditions the upper airway collapses intermittently and repeatedly during sleep, preventing breathing; notes that there are estimated to be 50,000 adults in Scotland who have this condition, affecting around 1 to 2% of middle-aged men, which is a similar prevalence to Type 1 diabetes; notes that being overweight and in a sedentary occupation increases the likelihood of suffering from this disorder which includes occupations such as lorry and train drivers and, indeed, politicians; further notes that only some 5,000 people receive treatment and that the person suffering from Obstructive Sleep Apnoea is often the last to be aware of the problem; notes that this condition can be successfully managed with a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine which is recommended as the first line of treatment by the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network; notes that research at the Edinburgh Sleep Centre concluded that treating 500 patients with CPAP machines for five years would cost £400,000 whereas the estimated cost of accidents caused by 500 untreated sleep apnoea patients over the same period could be £5.3 million; notes that the waiting time for treatment at the Edinburgh Sleep Centre has, however, now risen to 23 months, and therefore urges the Scottish Executive to fund sleep centres adequately and to promote awareness of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea.


No recorded vote on this motion. Most motions are never debated, and many that are debated are agreed without a division. Vote records are published from 2011.

SNP 3 Con 2 SSP 2 Green 1

Party shown is each supporter’s party when the motion was published.

No contribution in the Official Report cites S2M-04245 by reference.