Today we responded to the Scottish Government consultation on a new NHS Delivery Organisation which closes on the 30th November. This consultation invites views on the proposed merger of NHS Education Scotland (NES) and NHS National Services Scotland (NSS).
In our response, we welcome the commitment to systemic change in the proposals for a new national NHS delivery organisation. However, we express our uncertainty on whether the proposals will bring the changes required to deliver the Service Renewal Framework and the Population Health Framework. We also provide further reflections on how any new organisation might reinforce commitments related to prevention and meaningfully engage with third sector health organisations, especially given that the proposed reforms relate to the wider health system, not just the health service.
We further make the following recommendations:
- That any new national NHS organisation tasked with acting as ‘an enabler of transformational change across health and social care’ must have a remit that clearly addresses and responds to all corners of the health and care system, not just the NHS.
- More explicit reference to the role that any proposed new national NHS body would play in the shift to prevention and community-based care.
- That any new national body with a ‘One Scotland’ ethos should have a clear role in unifying and engaging with all partners, as equals, in the wider health system to avoid duplication, ensure access to systems, and promote collaboration.
- That any ‘financial savings’ achieved through this process be ring-fenced for activity that supports the shift to prevention and the addressing of health inequalities in Scotland’s health and care system, including research, education, and partnerships with the third sector.
For more information about this response, please contact our Policy and Public Affairs Lead, Sarah Latto.
