Latest news with #OperationalImprovementPlan
Daily Record
01-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
NHS Forth Valley will work closely with other boards across the country
Forth Valley health chiefs joining forces with other boards in progressive venture Radical new wide-ranging plans which will mean NHS Forth Valley teaming up with other health authorities across the country to help improve care and reduce waiting times have been given support at a local level. In January, First Minister John Swinney provided an update on the NHS Renewal Plan, which would be underpinned by an Operational Improvement Plan, a 10 year Population Health Framework; and a Service Reform Framework. Within this context, all health boards have been asked to take update papers on the emergent governance arrangements including the establishment of the NHS Scotland Executive Group. This initiative aims to foster a more collaborative philosophy within NHS Scotland, with Boards urged to adopt a systematic approach to balancing local delivery with the broader responsibility of meeting the needs of larger populations beyond their geographical boundaries in the delivery of planned care. Chief Executive Ross McGuffie said at a special meeting of NHS Forth Valley on Tuesday: ''The initiative aims to shift more care into communities and homes, reduce hospital admissions, and improve access to treatment. 'This comprehensive approach seeks to address immediate pressures, promote preventive care, and leverage technological advancements to ensure a more efficient and patient-centred healthcare system.' The Chief Executive said the board already worked with Greater Glasgow and Clyde for tertiary care, which ranges from cancer treatment to organ transplantation. The Scottish Government have committed to publishing three key plans to support the reform agenda: Health and Social Care Operational Improvement Plan. 10-year Population Health Framework Service Reform Framework. Given the anticipated magnitude of change associated with the NHS Renewal agenda, the likely level of scrutiny and reporting of progress and impact, it will be necessary to ensure this is fully reflected in local performance management arrangements. The first element of the NHS Renewal Plan, the Operational Improvement Plan, was published on March 31 and set out a focus on the immediate actions required over the next 12 to 18 months, with the aim of: Reducing waiting times by maximising local, regional and national capacity, including the expansion of diagnostic services. Offering more care and support in communities and at home. Improving access through digital and technological solutions. Preventing illness and pro-actively meeting people's needs. The latest advice from Scottish Government is that the second element of the NHS Renewal Plan, the Population Health Framework, is due to be published in June and will be underpinned by four guiding principles: Prioritise creating and maintaining good health and preventing ill health. Focus support on the people and communities who need it most. Change systems and environments to support individuals to stay healthy. Deliver through a whole system approach. The final Annual Delivery Plan 2025-26 that will come to the NHS Board for final approval will include all aspects necessitated within the Operational Improvement Plan. The latest advice from Scottish Government is that the second element of the NHS Renewal Plan, the Population Health Framework, is due to be published in June and will be underpinned by four guiding principles: Prioritise creating and maintaining good health and preventing ill health Focus support on the people and communities who need it most Change systems and environments to support individuals to stay healthy; and Deliver through a whole system approach. The draft of the NHS Forth Valley Population Health Strategy will go out for a final round of engagement, with an expected completion date of late summer/early autumn. This will allow time to ensure all key aspects of the national strategy are able to be referenced within the local strategy, though the Interim Director of Public Health has been involved in both processes from the outset supporting alignment. The third element of the NHS Renewal Plan, the Service Reform Framework, is also due to be published in June and is expected to offer guidance and direction on how services should be planned and delivered to enhance sustainability and value for money, whilst maximising population health. NHS Forth Valley Board noted the commitment set out by the First Minister to progress the renewal and reform of the NHS in Scotland, and associated requirement for the Board to seek assurance on delivery of these commitments and the evolution of the new governance arrangements intended to enable and foster stronger collective accountability, whilst underpinning the strength of local accountability mechanisms. The local board acknowledged and endorsed the duality of their role for the population or board they serve as well as their contribution to population planning that will cross traditional board boundaries.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Care at home to expand in plan to cut NHS waiting times
Scottish government plans to reduce NHS waiting times will see weekend appointments for scans and tests introduced alongside an expansion in hospital care at home. Health Secretary Neil Gray said the government was investing an extra £200m - out of a total health budget of nearly £22bn - in improvements, including greater use of digital technology. However, the proposals were labelled "lip service and rhetoric" by unions, who said seven-day working for radiologists would leave staff burnt out. The improvement plan comes after Audit Scotland said the government was unlikely to deliver on a pledge to deliver an additional 800 GPs by 2027. The Scottish government said moving to a seven-day service for radiology would ensure 95% of referrals being seen within six weeks by March next year, using mobile scanning units and additional recruitment. The Hospital at Home scheme, where a patient stays at home but is monitored virtually using apps and wearables and treated as if they were in hospital, will expand by at least 2,000 so-called "virtual beds" by the end of 2026. Digital services in general will be increased across Scotland throughout 2026, in a bid to encourage people to find local services and receive NHS messages online. Gray said the "ambitious but realistic" proposals - called the Operational Improvement Plan - would make the NHS "more accessible" and cut into backlogs for patients to be seen. He told BBC Scotland News: "Too many people are waiting for too long to receive diagnostic tests, or indeed, the follow-up treatment. "We recognise there is a large amount of pressure within the system - we need to release that pressure and clear those backlogs. We're confident the investment being made here will reduce the longest waits, which improves the flow through the system." Gray accepted that staff at the Golden Jubilee hospital in Clydebank, the flagship hospital for reducing waiting times, would need to work to "a greater extent" under the seven-day working plan. Dr Iain Kennedy, the chairman of BMA Scotland, said staff were already under "huge pressure" with workloads. He said: "There is already a disconnect between the number of scans and the consultant workforce required to report them, which means radiologists are being stretched to breaking point. "The recognition that general practice is at the heart of our healthcare system is of course absolutely right, but this must be backed with action, including urgent direct investment into our GP practices, which will massively improve patient access and bring huge benefits across the NHS. "Sadly again, we are seeing lip service and rhetoric around shifting the balance of care, but little action to back that up." Dr Kennedy said "radical action" was required with funding plans, including more ambitious use of digital services. Colin Poolman, the director of the Royal College of Nursing in Scotland, said there was "little new" in the plan and that it lacked detail. He added: "Nursing staff reading this will be left scratching their heads wondering just how the aspirations in this plan will be achieved in reality." The plan is the Scottish government's fifth in four years for health services. Other proposals include ensuring there are specialist staff in frailty teams in every A&E department in Scotland. Flow navigation centres, which direct patients to the most appropriate service for their condition, will be expanded to include more services, while £10.5m will be invested in general practice focused on preventing heart disease and frailty. Scottish Labour's health spokesperson Jackie Baillie said the plan was "recycled ideas" and displayed "low ambition" from the SNP. Doctors say they cannot afford to recruit new GPs Scottish NHS reform 'urgently needed' - watchdog
BBC News
31-03-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Care at home to expand in plan to cut NHS waiting times
Scottish government plans to reduce NHS waiting times will see weekend appointments for scans and tests introduced alongside an expansion in hospital care at Secretary Neil Gray said the government was investing an extra £200m - out of a total health budget of nearly £22bn - in improvements, including greater use of digital the proposals were labelled "lip service and rhetoric" by unions, who said seven-day working for radiologists would leave staff burnt out. The improvement plan comes after Audit Scotland said the government was unlikely to deliver on a pledge to deliver an additional 800 GPs by 2027. The Scottish government said moving to a seven-day service for radiology would ensure 95% of referrals being seen within six weeks by March next year, using mobile scanning units and additional recruitment. The Hospital at Home scheme, where a patient stays at home but is monitored virtually using apps and wearables and treated as if they were in hospital, will expand by at least 2,000 so-called "virtual beds" by the end of services in general will be increased across Scotland throughout 2026, in a bid to encourage people to find local services and receive NHS messages online. Gray said the "ambitious but realistic" proposals - called the Operational Improvement Plan - would make the NHS "more accessible" and cut into backlogs for patients to be told BBC Scotland News: "Too many people are waiting for too long to receive diagnostic tests, or indeed, the follow-up treatment. "We recognise there is a large amount of pressure within the system - we need to release that pressure and clear those backlogs. We're confident the investment being made here will reduce the longest waits, which improves the flow through the system." 'Stretched to breaking point' Gray accepted that staff at the Golden Jubilee hospital in Clydebank, the flagship hospital for reducing waiting times, would need to work to "a greater extent" under the seven-day working plan. Dr Iain Kennedy, the chairman of BMA Scotland, said staff were already under "huge pressure" with said: "There is already a disconnect between the number of scans and the consultant workforce required to report them, which means radiologists are being stretched to breaking point."The recognition that general practice is at the heart of our healthcare system is of course absolutely right, but this must be backed with action, including urgent direct investment into our GP practices, which will massively improve patient access and bring huge benefits across the NHS. "Sadly again, we are seeing lip service and rhetoric around shifting the balance of care, but little action to back that up."Dr Kennedy said "radical action" was required with funding plans, including more ambitious use of digital services. Colin Poolman, the director of the Royal College of Nursing in Scotland, said there was "little new" in the plan and that it lacked added: "Nursing staff reading this will be left scratching their heads wondering just how the aspirations in this plan will be achieved in reality." Heart disease prevention The plan is the Scottish government's fifth in four years for health proposals include ensuring there are specialist staff in frailty teams in every A&E department in navigation centres, which direct patients to the most appropriate service for their condition, will be expanded to include more services, while £10.5m will be invested in general practice focused on preventing heart disease and Labour's health spokesperson Jackie Baillie said the plan was "recycled ideas" and displayed "low ambition" from the SNP.
