Chamber and committees

Following detailed discussion, the National Demonstration Projects Steering Group has agreed proposals for Scotland-wide Learning Networks. These will be implemented by the Public Health Institute of Scotland. Project manager posts will be advertised shortly.

The Scottish Health Promoting Schools Unit has not yet been formally established. The Scottish Executive Health and Education Departments are working with the Health Education Board for Scotland, COSLA, and Learning and Teaching Scotland to establish the Unit within the first half of 2002.

Patient Focus and Public Involvement, published in December of last year, reported on steps taken to develop the actions identified in the Involving People section of Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change. It also set out more detailed proposals for work over the coming three years to develop the capacity of the NHS to provide patients and the public with information about their health, their treatment, the options for care, and the availability of health services.The Patient Information Initiative will:assure the quality of patient information, based on evidence;involve and engage with other sources of expertise such as expert patients;make information accessible and available in a variety of formats, andlink to future developments, for example NHS24 online. The initiative will develop proposals for establishing a network that will ensure that relevant high quality information is available where and when needed in a suitable format.

Patient Focus and Public Involvement, published in December of last year, set out plans for developing the actions identified in the Involving People section of Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change. It also identified how the earmarked £14 million investment would be allocated across four complementary strands of building capacity and communications, patient information, involvement, and responsiveness to develop a patient-focused health service.

Patient Focus and Public Involvement, published in December of last year, reported on steps taken to develop the actions identified in the Involving People section of Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change. It also set out detailed proposals for work over the coming three years on building capacity and communications, patient information, involvement, and responsiveness to equip the NHS to communicate with, listen to and work in partnership with individuals and communities.

During 2001 the Strategic Programme for Information & Management has been rewritten; a final draft version is on SHOW (www.show.scot.nhs.uk/imt) to allow for any final comments from the NHS. The draft strategy sets out national and local programmes and targets and is intended to establish greater collaboration and consistency of approach to the development of information management and technology across NHSScotland. It is likely to be published in February 2002.

Since the publication of Our National Health: a plan for action, a plan for change, a number of steps have been taken to improve communications with and by NHSScotland. For example, ministers meet regularly with NHS Board Chairs, the Chief Executive of NHSScotland holds regular meetings with NHS Chief Executives and senior officials have regular dialogue with key stakeholder groups. The importance of effective two-way communication features highly in these discussions.Effective communication with patients and the public is a key theme of the plans outlined in Patient Focus and Public Involvement published in December 2001.Additionally, the Health Department has introduced a web-based Weekly Bulletin aimed at alerting the NHS, local authorities and other key stakeholders to publications, guidance and other papers issued by the department. The department has recently appointed a Corporate Communications Manager who will have a key role in working with NHSScotland to develop a structured programme to further improve communications.

In September 2001, we established 15 new NHS boards to enhance local decision making in NHSScotland. The membership of the new boards - which now includes elected local councillors, NHS staff and clinicians - has been specifically designed to provide a better reflection of the communities they serve.Putting in place the new, unified local NHS systems has involved more than 100 new non-executive appointments to NHS boards and trusts since January 2001, each of which has been made in line with guidance issued by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. This process has included local and national advertising campaigns, most notably for the Chairpersons of 13 NHS boards and five trusts, which have attracted a wide range of applicants from diverse backgrounds.Additionally, Patient Focus and Public Involvement, published in December 2001, requires each new NHS Board to work closely with its community planning partners and voluntary organisations to develop a sustainable framework to support local public involvement.

Our work to improve governance and accountability of NHSScotland has not been confined to the establishment of 15 new NHS boards across Scotland. We have also been concerned to ensure that the spirit of these changes is reflected in improvements in the governance of the Special Health Boards and other national bodies, whilst recognising their distinctive nature and activities.A number of initiatives, many of which were announced in Public bodies: Proposals for change (June 2001), are currently under way to ensure that national NHS bodies are fit for purpose and efficiently structured. These include: work to establish a new Special Health Board for education, training and lifelong learning for all NHSScotland staff in April 2002; an examination of the structure and relationships of all national bodies with an interest in clinical quality, such as the Clinical Standards Board for Scotland and the Health Technology Board for Scotland; anda review of the future governance of the State Hospitals Board for Scotland.

Patient Focus and Public Involvement, published in December of last year, reported on steps taken to develop the actions identified in the Involving People section of Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change. It also indicated that NHS boards will be expected to take a pro-active and positive approach to public involvement on issues of potential service change. It stressed that involving the public should not be seen as something that has to be done at the end of a process, but something that is part of an integrated process of communication and discussion; where communities, patients, public and NHS staff have opportunities to influence decision making. The NHS must be able to demonstrate through this inclusive process that it listens to, is supportive of, and takes account of views and suggestions.Revised guidance on public involvement in service change will be issued in March.