Healthcare plans get minister’s approval

Plans to improve health services covering Rutherglen and Cambuslang have been endorsed by the cabinet secretary for health and sport Shona Robison.

She 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 two thousand people shared their views on the future development of local health services.

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 also developing enhanced community services where people are looked after at home or in homely settings.

For more information visit www.nhslanarkshire.org. uk/Involved/consultation/healthcare-strategy