Better Health, Better Care: National Delivery Plan for Children and Young People's Specialist Services in Scotland

The National Delivery Plan meets a key milestone in the commitments set out in Better Health, Better Care. It establishes a national infrastructure for the sustainability of specialist children's services in Scotland, not just in the specialist hospitals but also in District General Hospitals and in the community: it identifies work that needs to take place at a national and regional level to sustain and develop services, drawing down the additional £32 million commited over the 3 financial year


CONCLUSIONS

122. Better Health, Better Care expressed the commitment of the Scottish Government to a National Health Service that supports local care wherever possible and provides timely, safe, effective and efficient services. Achieving these goals in respect of specialist services for children and young people poses very real challenges that require a coordinated response across the NHS in Scotland.

123. Much will be taken forward within local areas but the complex inter-dependencies that exist within and between the various specialist services for children and young people can only be addressed by also having a clear national perspective and effective collaboration between Regions, NHS Boards and individual service providers. Such an approach will not only support a consistent pattern of progress and improvement in the services we provide but will also ensure they are delivered in ways that address the inequalities of health and healthcare that still affect our society.

124. This National Delivery Plan sets out the pattern of investment and activity that is required to create real change in the sustainability, quality and accessibility of these services.

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