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Press and Journal
29-05-2025
- Health
- Press and Journal
Apologetic Aberdeenshire health boss admits care cuts 'caused distress' as she vows to 'repair broken trust'
Newly appointed health boss Leigh Jolly has apologised for the 'confusion and distress' inflicted upon residents hit by social care cuts. Ms Jolly took on the leading role at Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership (AHSCP) in April after former chief Pam Milliken moved on amid a major funding crisis. And her first task was to get the controversial recovery plan drafted by her predecessor over the line in a bid to save the partnership £17 million. This included slashing a number of services – including axing daycare projects and transport for the disabled, as well as devising a drastic redesign of in-house home care. The proposed changes and lack of information sparked outrage among residents, who feared their loved ones would be left without the vital care they need. Ms Jolly has now admitted that they haven't communicated the plans appropriately, and apologised for the worry and distress project leaders have caused to all affected by the cuts. Kicking off a six-hour debate, the health chief admitted they have failed to explain the savings project correctly, leaving people with 'conflated and confusing' information. And she promised to learn from that mistake going forward after members of the Integration Joint Board voted through all of the proposed cuts yesterday. As part of the recovery plan, home care and Aberdeenshire Responders Care at Home Service (Arch) will be merged, while all transport for disabled people will be axed. Daycare activities for older people across three very sheltered housing facilities will also be slashed from 10 to five sessions per week, and eight learning disability projects will be terminated. However, Ms Jolly stressed that none of these will be enforced before a suitable alternative is found for each person who needs care. She said: 'In my previous role as chief social work officer, I outlined that we would not leave anyone who was assessed as having substantial or critical need without a service. 'We have to date not got this right for everyone, and I sincerely apologise to anyone who has been impacted and left worried by any of our communications and actions. 'And while we still have to make significant changes, we would do this openly and honestly to ensure that no one is left without an alternative plan.' Several concerned residents went before the board to share their personal experiences in hope of halting the bemoaned cuts to their care services. Through tears, Sandra Wood spoke of non-verbal son Fraser, who might lose his nurturing environment at Fraserburgh Day Opportunities once the criteria is changed. Meanwhile, Denise MacDonald told the board about her sister-in-law Ellie, who has Down's syndrome and needs to be monitored regularly. She attends the same centre as Fraser five days a week and now her spot there is at risk, with her sessions potentially dropping down to two or three. After listening to their heartfelt stories, Ms Jolly once again promised to work with all families to ensure no one loses out on the care they need. She acknowledged the discrepancies in how the drastic changes have been communicated and how they have been perceived by residents. And she admitted this is their mistake to fix. She said: 'I think the trust is broken, and we have a lot of work to do to regain the trust of the people in our communities. 'I'm hoping that those of you who have experienced confusion or distress have had feedback from the services by now to say that we've got this wrong. 'As your new chief officer, what you will get from me is honesty – we will put our hands up, say we haven't got things right and work together to ensure that we do get it right.' She then explained that these closures will not happen overnight, and vowed to learn from their mistakes and reach out to each family about how they would be impacted. Now that the initial proposals have been agreed, health officials will start ironing out the details of each of the changes. This would involve setting up a new eligibility criteria for home and day care, figuring out alternative plans with private providers and sorting out possible redundancies. Ms Jolly added: 'What I want to do is understand and have a real picture of every single person who will be impacted by any decisions. 'And then, I want us to create a very clear plan in terms of communication and how we come meet families in your communities and talk to you face to face. 'We absolutely have to listen to what you've got to say and use that to inform our decision-making.'
Daily Record
01-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
NHS Forth Valley want residents to have say on ten-year health plan
NHS bosses say the plan looks at the "bigger picture" and will see more joined up services to prevent ill health NHS Forth Valley chiefs want Falkirk residents to have their say a new 10-year plan that aims to look at the "bigger picture" for local health services. The aim is to transform how services are delivered locally over the next ten years, in a bid to help health services cope with increasing demands and rising costs while improving people's quality of life. The draft strategy, agreed by members of NHS Forth Valley 's board this week, aims to move from treating illness to preventing it, with greater emphasis on early support, local services and tackling the wider factors that influence health. Local people have already been involved in setting out what they consider to be priorities. Those taking part have highlighted that they want services to communicate better with each other and be more joined up; more services to be available in local communities; and better transport to get to appointments. As things stand, just five per cent of healthcare spend is focused on prevention. According to the report discussed by the board: "The cost of failing to put prevention first can be seen in the rising demand for health and social care but also impacts on other public services." The draft recognises that there are many factors that have a huge effect on how healthy people can expect to be, including employment and income; housing and transport; and health behaviours and lifestyle such as smoking, alcohol, diet and exercise are all important. The evidence is that since 2019, more people are experiencing poorer health; not only are people dying younger, the number of people dying early is increasing and people are spending more of their life living with ill health. The NHS is also preparing for a 21 per cent increase in the number of people living with long term conditions between 2020 and 2043. The key, the report notes, will be working seamlessly with partners including the Integration Joint Board and local councils. The figures also show the massive effect that poverty has on health, with a 24-year gap in the time spent in good health between the most affluent and most deprived areas of Forth Valley. The strategy aims to find ways to work more directly with communities, such as one programme that sees nurses working closely with young, first-time mums to give them the support they need. Other areas that will be prioritised for preventative activity include cardiovascular disease; cancer; mental health; muscle and joint conditions including hip fractures; substance misuse; and respiratory conditions. There are other programmes already underway that are already seeing some success, such as the Keep Well Service, which aims to prevent Type 2 Diabetes. The belief is that targeting prevention will actually be a more effective use of money. For example, NHS Forth Valley spends around £11.5 million every year on dealing with hip fractures. The aim now is to invest some of this resource into falls prevention work, such as increased physical activity classes in the community; home hazard assessments; frailty and bone health screening for older people; and development of self-management tools for those at the highest risk of falls. Key priorities in the plan are: Investing in prevention to help people stay well for longer Providing support at an earlier stage to help prevent conditions from worsening. Expanding access to services in local communities, making it easier for people to get the help they need closer to home. Improving the health and wellbeing of the whole population—not just those already in the healthcare system Working alongside local councils, charities, community organisations, carers and other partners to address the root causes of poor health Using resources wisely to get the best value and health outcomes from the funding available. Ross McGuffie, chief executive of NHS Forth Valley, said: 'The development of this strategy marks a significant shift in how we think about and plan local health and care services. "We're not just focussing on traditional health services and facilities and the needs of existing patients - we're looking at the bigger picture: how we support everyone to live well, how we reach people earlier and how we work together with our many partners to create healthier communities. 'Extensive feedback from local people, staff and partners has already helped shape the development of this important strategy. "However, we now want to give people an opportunity to review the draft version to ensure that it captures what matters most to them and provide any additional feedback. "This feedback will inform the final version and ensure we deliver a strategy that truly meets the needs of our many stakeholders and local communities.' A new period of further engagement will run from 1 May to 15 June 2025, giving local staff, residents and partners organisations across Forth Valley another opportunity to shape the final version of the Population Health and Care Strategy. All feedback will be carefully reviewed and a summary of key themes will be published on the Board's website. Further information and a copy of the draft strategy can be found on the NHS Forth Valley website Feedback can be submitted via a short online survey, by email to or by post to NHS Forth Valley, Planning Team, Carseview House, Castle Business Park, Stirling, FK9 4SW. The final version of the strategy is expected to be submitted to the NHS Forth Valley Board for approval in autumn 2025.
Daily Record
25-04-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
New three-year plan sets out South Lanarkshire's ambitions for health and social care
South Lanarkshire's Integration Joint Board (IJB) has approved its Strategic Commissioning Plan for 2025–2028, setting out clear and focused ambitions for health and social care over the next three years. Against the backdrop of significant and complex challenges for health and social care, it targets five strategic goals – summarised as Nurture, Access, Flow, Recovery and Protect – as the key priorities for service delivery and transformation. Lesley McDonald, outgoing chair of the South Lanarkshire IJB, said: 'We know the difference that effective health and social care services make to the lives of thousands of people across our communities each and every day. 'We should celebrate the progress that our staff have delivered over the last three years, which provides the robust platform for the important work to come. In the face of increasing demands, escalating costs and pressurised resources we also know that the status quo is unsustainable. 'That is why each of our strategic goals tackles a critical challenge head-on – from supporting more children to meet their developmental milestones, to shifting the balance of care from hospital to community settings and improving access to primary care.' Professor Soumen Sengupta, chief officer of South Lanarkshire IJB, added: 'One of the privileges of my role is that I get to see first-hand the impact that our capable and compassionate staff can and do make on a daily basis. I also know how deeply their professionalism and dedication is valued by local people – from supporting infants and parents right through to providing care and comfort to those requiring end-of-life care. 'Our strategic goals reinforce our commitment to protecting the most vulnerable and at-risk within our communities. In committing to these goals we are both addressing the realities of a very challenging environment, and pursuing opportunities to innovate, integrate, and drive improvement – together with our communities, staff and partners. 'My thanks then to all of our staff and to our partners for their ongoing dedication and their drive to embrace new ways of working and models of care. And my thanks to our patients, service users, informal carers and communities for their encouragement, their feedback and their support as we continue to strive to do our best by them.' The IJB's Strategic Commissioning Plan is aligned with national and local strategies including NHS Lanarkshire's Our Health Together, South Lanarkshire Council's Connect Plan and the South Lanarkshire Community Plan. It also reinforces the IJB's long-term ambition to improve life expectancy and contribute to narrowing health inequalities across the area. The Strategic Commissioning Plan focuses on five key strategic goals: ■ Nurture – to support more children to reach their developmental milestones. ■ Access – to improve the accessibility and range of primary care services. ■ Flow – to shift the balance of care from acute to community services, including reducing delayed discharges. ■ Recovery – to reduce harm from substance misuse and reduce drug related deaths. ■ Protect – to strengthen public protection arrangements help keep vulnerable children and adults safe from harm. Five key enabling drivers – catalysts for change – are also identified as critical to delivery, namely financial sustainability; workforce development; carers support; digital development; and collaborative innovation. * Don't miss the latest he adlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here . And did you know Lanarkshire Live is on Facebook ? Head on over and give us a like and share!
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
'Significant risk' if autism and ADHD tests cut
Adult autism and ADHD assessments in Aberdeenshire face being halted despite a council report suggesting the move would come with a "significant risk". Council officers will recommend the £200,000 cut at a meeting on Wednesday due to a lack of Scottish government funding. Members of the Integration Joint Board (IJB) - the body which runs health and social care services in the region - are looking to make £17m in savings in the 2025/26 budget. Social Care Minister Maree Todd said it was "disappointing" that local areas were considering cuts to services. Almost 2,000 people are waiting for ADHD and autism assessments in Aberdeenshire. Temporary Scottish government funding has allowed the service to run for the past four years. Officers anticipated this funding would continue but say this has not happened. The report to go before the IJB found cutting the provision will bring "significant risk" as it leave people with "limited other options." It also anticipates that the move will lead to complaints. A future revisiting of the service provision was not ruled out in the report, if funding could be secured. Marion McLaughlin, from Aberdeen, runs a consultancy which trains companies in improving practices and understanding of autism in the workplace. She has set up a petition against the changes and was the only person with autism on the council's workgroup which first brought the assessments to Aberdeenshire. She said: "The cuts would be shockingly ill-informed. "We are dismayed that the integrated impact assessment does not fully reflect the full destructive impact this will have on our community. "I think the council do not understand the negative effects this will have on the lives of people with autism." The charity Scottish Autism has called on the local health and social care partnership to reject the proposals. The charity's Joe Long said support for neurodivergent adults is "highly inconsistent across Scotland." "It may mean that people are forced to seek private assessment if they are able to afford it, or may be directed to mental health services by health professionals instead," he said. "None of this will be beneficial to people seeking a diagnosis, or to the wider health and social care system." More stories from North East Scotland, Orkney and Shetland Listen to news from North East Scotland on BBC Sounds Last month the Scottish government said there had been a "significant increase in referrals" for autism diagnosis, which was putting pressure on an already-stretched NHS. GPs say they are not unwilling to refer patients who would benefit from support - but that the criteria for referrals was very strict. Dr Chris Williams, vice chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) Scotland, previously said it would be helpful if the public was better informed about this criteria - and how there is no treatment or 'cure' for autism, which is not an illness. Asked about the situation in Aberdeenshire, Maree Todd said it was disappointing that local areas were considering "completely withdrawing" neurodevelopmental services. She said: "The Scottish government provided £400,000 to establish the service in Aberdeenshire between 2019-21. If approved by the Scottish Parliament, the 2025-26 Budget will provide a record £21.7bn for health and social care next year. "This includes £16.2bn for health boards - a 3% cash uplift and real terms increase on their baseline funding. It will also deliver record funding of over £15bn for local authorities, a further 4.7% real terms increase." Speaking about autism support more broadly, she said: "Formal diagnosis is not required to access the support provided, and we know that 78% of autistic adults supported have reported improved wellbeing as a result." Other cuts to be discussed at the meeting include a 70% reduction to the in-house Care at Home Service, which could lead to staff being made redundant. 'I realised I had autism when my children were diagnosed' 'My autistic brain defined my haphazard career' Eighteen-year wait for adult autism assessments
BBC News
18-02-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Warning over cuts to autism and ADHD tests in Aberdeenshire
Adult autism and ADHD assessments in Aberdeenshire face being halted despite a council report suggesting the move would come with a "significant risk".Council officers will recommend the £200,000 cut at a meeting on Wednesday due to a lack of Scottish government of the Integration Joint Board (IJB) - the body which runs health and social care services in the region - are looking to make £17m in savings in the 2025/26 Care Minister Maree Todd said it was "disappointing" that local areas were considering cuts to services. Almost 2,000 people are waiting for ADHD and autism assessments in Scottish government funding has allowed the service to run for the past four years. Officers anticipated this funding would continue but say this has not report to go before the IJB found cutting the provision will bring "significant risk" as it leave people with "limited other options."It also anticipates that the move will lead to complaints.A future revisiting of the service provision was not ruled out in the report, if funding could be secured. 'We are dismayed' Marion McLaughlin, from Aberdeen, runs a consultancy which trains companies in improving practices and understanding of autism in the has set up a petition against the changes and was the only person with autism on the council's workgroup which first brought the assessments to Aberdeenshire. She said: "The cuts would be shockingly ill-informed."We are dismayed that the integrated impact assessment does not fully reflect the full destructive impact this will have on our community."I think the council do not understand the negative effects this will have on the lives of people with autism."The charity Scottish Autism has called on the local health and social care partnership to reject the charity's Joe Long said support for neurodivergent adults is "highly inconsistent across Scotland.""It may mean that people are forced to seek private assessment if they are able to afford it, or may be directed to mental health services by health professionals instead," he said."None of this will be beneficial to people seeking a diagnosis, or to the wider health and social care system." Last month the Scottish government said there had been a "significant increase in referrals" for autism diagnosis, which was putting pressure on an already-stretched say they are not unwilling to refer patients who would benefit from support - but that the criteria for referrals was very Chris Williams, vice chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) Scotland, previously said it would be helpful if the public was better informed about this criteria - and how there is no treatment or 'cure' for autism, which is not an about the situation in Aberdeenshire, Maree Todd said it was disappointing that local areas were considering "completely withdrawing" neurodevelopmental said: "The Scottish government provided £400,000 to establish the service in Aberdeenshire between 2019-21. If approved by the Scottish Parliament, the 2025-26 Budget will provide a record £21.7bn for health and social care next year."This includes £16.2bn for health boards - a 3% cash uplift and real terms increase on their baseline funding. It will also deliver record funding of over £15bn for local authorities, a further 4.7% real terms increase."Speaking about autism support more broadly, she said: "Formal diagnosis is not required to access the support provided, and we know that 78% of autistic adults supported have reported improved wellbeing as a result."Other cuts to be discussed at the meeting include a 70% reduction to the in-house Care at Home Service, which could lead to staff being made redundant.
