Planning for integration of adult and children’s services to be discussed at Black Isle Ward Forum
“We can change our health and care services for older adults in the Highlands to make them among the best in Scotland,” says Cllr David Alston, speaking for the Black Isle Ward in advance of the next Ward Forum, to be held on Thursday 9th June in Culbokie Primary School from 6.00 pm.
“We already have dedicated and skilled staff in social care and in the health service - but still things do not always work as well as they should. People slip through the net, services don’t always join up as they should and differing views about who should pay for what get in the way of providing the highest quality of care. The failures, which no-one intends, cause real suffering.
“We will change all this by a bold move, based on trust and mutual respect between NHS Highland and the Highland Council. The Council will retain its responsibilities for social care but will commission NHS Highland to provide these services on its behalf. This will bring staff and budgets together, in one system, putting an end to the inevitable problems of demarcation when two large organisations simply work alongside each other.
“A parallel move will see the NHS commission children’s service from the Council.”
Garry Coutts, Chairman of NHS Highland, comments: “NHS Highland and Highland Council appreciate that people want health and social care delivered in a straightforward way, with minimal bureaucracy. They want the services they need, delivered quickly and efficiently, and as local to where they live as possible. That is what we are seeking to do, through the integration of children’s and adult services, and we are keen to talk through the detail with local communities.”
Having developed closer joint working over recent years, both NHS Highland and the Highland Council believe that it is possible to achieve even greater integration. They believe that this will further improve front line services, achieving better outcomes for the users of services, and they seek to consult with community groups about these plans.
The proposals will:
• reduce bureaucracy;
• ensure front-line services are efficient and cost effective by removing duplication and gaps;
• make sense to the public and to service users, by having a single, lead organisation responsible for the management and organisation of services; and
• provide a clear framework for improved leadership and enhanced public accountability.
These changes are significant because they:
• involve far reaching changes in organisational and management arrangements for the two largest employers in the Highland area.
• provide a means of achieving what politicians, professionals, clinicians and the public have been seeking for many years, in both children’s and adult services – reduced bureaucracy and a real joined up approach to service delivery.
• represent the most advanced plans in Scotland to achieve these aims.
• demonstrate the significant trust and effective working relationships that have been developed by care and health professionals across Highland Council and NHS Highland.
• will deliver real improvements in services and outcomes for the users of health and social care services in the Highlands.
The ward forum will provide an opportunity for members of the public to hear about and comment on these proposals. In particular, it will seek views on how individuals and community groups might have a stronger voice in the delivery of health and social care services that are delivered in a more integrated way.
At the start of the Forum Scotland Transerv Customer Service Manager, Cathel MacAskill, will be giving a local briefing on the proposed emergency works on the Kessock Bridge and answering any questions.
Ends