What steps it will take to improve the financial circumstances of kidney dialysis patients in the islands who suffer hardship in travelling…

The NHS Travelling Expenses and Remission of Charges (Scotland) Regulations 1988 as amended by the NHS (Travelling Expenses and Remission of Charges) (Scotland) Regulations 1996 provides for two patients' travelling expenses schemes, a non-means tested Highlands and Islands Scheme and a means tested scheme for the rest of the country. Health boards also have discretion to reimburse the travel costs of patients eligible for assistance under the statutory travel schemes where this is viewed as an extension of the patients' treatment costs and deemed clinically necessary.