Highland Council to integrate health and social care services

The Highland Council and NHS Highland have decided to integreate health and social care services to improve quality and reduce costs.  A new model for service delivery has been proposed which ensure shared accountability even though each organisation would be responsible for specific services.

“Central and local government have wrestled for too long, with the challenge of bringing health and social care closer together,” Gary Coutts, Chairman of NHS Highland said. “We all know that is what people want.  We all know it delivers better care.  The challenge has been how to do it, with reduced bureaucracy. We believe that we have identified the means.  The Council provides the universal service for children in schools, and is best placed to manage children’s services.  The NHS will hold it accountable for the delivery and quality of those services.”

“The Health Service however, is the universal service for adults, and the first point of contact when people are ill or have other difficulties.  Accordingly, it makes sense that community care services are managed by NHS Highland.  The Council will then hold us accountable for these,” he added.

His thoughts were echoed by the Council Leader, Councillor Foxley argued this would improve service delivery and the proposals are “practical and straightforward”.

These 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,
    * 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.