Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-12334 on 20 November 2017. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

As part of the existing approach to planning and identifying savings, NHS Boards focus on delivering recurring savings.

To ensure that public resources are used as effectively as possible and to help meet increasing demand and deliver reform, the Scottish Government has established a Sustainability and Value Programme to maximise the benefit from efficiency and productivity savings.

This Programme supports NHS Boards in identifying recurring savings which are then retained for local reinvestment. Savings plans are continually developed throughout the year, to deliver better services, better care and better value.

Part 1 of the National Health and Social Care Workforce Plan published on 28 June 2017 is clear on the need to project the future supply and demand of the NHSScotland workforce, using scenario planning to factor in future population demand and workforce supply changes such as retirals.

With strategic oversight from the National Workforce Planning Group set up under Part 1, the Scottish Government is working closely with stakeholders in NHSScotland and NHS Education Scotland to develop the workforce data and scenario planning capacity required to build an accurate picture of the workforce needed to deliver safe, high quality NHSScotland services in future.

The Scottish Government published Part 1 of the National Health and Social Care Workforce Plan on 28 June 2017. This makes specific recommendations in key areas to strengthen national, regional and local improvements to NHS workforce planning.

Parts 2 and 3 of the Plan, respectively covering workforce planning in Social Care and Primary Care, will bring this together iteratively to enable different systems to make the right links. A further integrated Plan will be published in 2018.

The Health and Social Care Delivery Plan, published 19 December 2016, affirms that there will be a shift in the balance of care from hospital to community care settings, and to individual homes when that is the best thing to do. By 2021-22 more than half of frontline NHS spending will be in community health services.

As part of this shift, in every year of this Parliament there will be an increase in the share of the frontline NHS budget dedicated to mental health and to primary, community, and social care. This will be supported by an increase in health resource funding of £2 billion over the life of this Parliament.

All Boards were able to obtain the necessary financial information from the relevant integration authorities for inclusion in the final accounts. All Boards received an unqualified audit opinion for the 2016-17 annual accounts.

It is important to note that 2016-17 was the first full year that integration authorities were fully operational. Areas for improvement are being identified and addressed as part of the approach to be taken by relevant bodies for subsequent years.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-12302 on 20 November 2017. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

On 29 August, the creation of an expert group which will provide support to transform scheduled care and put services on a sustainable footing was announced. The Elective Access Collaborative Programme will bring together experts from the Scottish Government, NHS Scotland and the Presidents and Chairs of the Royal Colleges – to provide support to health boards in improving the way elective services are configured.

The work of this group is supported by additional investment of £50 million which is being made available to Boards to improve waiting times for all parts of the patient journey, and £5 million confirmed on 5 October 2017 to support winter planning and enhance resilience across the services, making sure patients are seen quickly, efficiently and without delay.

The Scottish Government is also investing £200 million in five new elective treatment centres and the expansion of the existing Golden Jubilee National Hospital.

The Scottish Government expects all Boards to take all reasonable steps to live within their means and make best use of the available resources as part of a balanced approach to performance. Within this context, the Scottish Government continues to follow the twin approach of investment and reform, and shifting the balance of care to community health services.

The Scottish Government’s position on patient safety is very clear – it is, and will remain, of paramount importance. The Healthcare Quality Strategy for NHSScotland has three quality ambitions to provide safe, effective, person-centred care.

The Scottish Patient Safety Programme (SPSP), has been key to the delivery of these ambitions since its launch in 2008. It has brought about a number of improvements in care and safety. The Acute Adult Programme includes the Deteriorating Patient workstream (including infections, sepsis, bedsores and falls) and continues to work with Health Boards to test and implement processes that will further improve reliable and safe care delivery across a range of clinical areas.