Health Secretary throws weight behind new approach

Plans to improve Lanarkshire’s health services have been endorsed by Scottish health secretary Shona Robison.

The Cabinet Secretary approved NHS Lanarkshire’s healthcare strategy ‘Achieving Excellence’saying:“The Board has made a compelling case for change which is consistent with national policy and supported by the majority of local stakeholders, including clinical staff, planning partners, local people and their representatives.”

The healthcare strategy was approved by the NHS Lanarkshire board earlier this year.

The final version had been amended to take account of the feedback received during last year’s public consultation exercise when nearly 2000 shared their views on the future development of health services in Lanarkshire.

NHS Lanarkshire chief executive Calum Campbell said:“We are delighted that the Cabinet Secretary has approved the approach set out in Achieving Excellence to developing local health services.

“The final document is the product of a great deal of planning by health and care professionals that reflects valuable feedback from people across Lanarkshire who participated in the consultation process.

“It puts us in an excellent position to continue to evolve and improve our services for the people of Lanarkshire.

“We are now working to implement the strategy and will ensure stakeholders are kept fully informed and involved as this work progresses.”

The goal through Achieving Excellence is to shift the balance away from treatment in hospitals. This includes preventing ill health in the first instance and developing enhanced community services where people are looked after at home or in homely settings.

In support of the strategy, work is already underway jointly between NHS Lanarkshire Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, Scottish Ambulance Service and community transport providers to improve transport to health services.