Care and Wellbeing Portfolio Board minutes: March 2025

Attendees and apologies

• Christine McLaughlin, Co-Director Care and Wellbeing Portfolio, Scottish Government, (Chair)
• Richard Foggo, Co-Director Care and Wellbeing Portfolio, Scottish Government
• Anne Armstrong, Chief Nursing Officer, Scottish Government
• Donna Bell, Executive Sponsor for Preventative and Proactive Care Programme, Scottish Government
• Nicola Dickie, COSLA representative
• Anna Dominiczak, Portfolio Lead for Innovation, Scottish Government
• Karen Duffy, SRO Preventative and Proactive Care, Scottish Government
• Eddie Fraser, SOLACE representative
• Tai MacLennan, Portfolio Lead for Workforce, Scottish Government
• Tim McDonnell, Executive Sponsor for Preventative and Proactive Care Programme, Scottish Government
• Anita Morrison, Portfolio Lead for Analysis and Evidence, Scottish Government  
• John Nicholson, Deputy Director – Population Health Strategy and Improvement, Scottish Government
• Niamh O’Connor, Deputy Director – Population Health Strategy and Improvement, Scottish Government
• Soumen Sengupta, representative from Chief Officers for Health and Social Care Scotland, NHS Lanarkshire
• Tom Steele, Board Chairs representative, NHS
• Malcolm Summers, Strategic Reform Lead,   
• Kim Walker, National Programme Director, NHS NSS
• Susan Webb, Directors of Public Health Representative, NHS Grampian

Apologies

• Marion Bain, Clinical Lead CMO Directorate, Scottish Government
• Linda Bauld, SRO Place and Wellbeing Programme, Scottish Government  
• John Burns, Executive Sponsor NHS Acute Reform, Scottish Government
• Stephen Gallagher, Director of Mental Health, Scottish Government
• Alan Gray, Portfolio Lead for Finance, Scottish Government
• Aidan Grisewood, Director for Economic Transformation Strategy, Scottish Government
• Caroline Hiscox, Vice Chair of NHS Chief Executives Group, NHS Grampian  
• Paul Johnston, Public Health Scotland representative
• Clare Morrison, Enabler Lead for Service Co-Design and Improvement, Scottish Government
• Gordon Paterson, deputy National Education Scotland (NES) representative
• Robbie Pearson, Chair of NHS Chief Executives Group, Health Improvement Scotland
• Karen Reid, National Education Scotland (NES) representative
• Andrew Watson, Director for Children and Families, Portfolio Lead for Children’s Health and Wellbeing, Scottish Government

Items and actions

Welcome and Apologies

The Chair opened the meeting and noted apologies.

CM explained that the Care and Wellbeing (CWP) Board has successfully completed its current objectives and now requires a new approach to advance Health and Social Care reform. As the current plan, initiated during the COVID-19 pandemic, reaches its natural conclusion, this meeting will formally close the Care and Wellbeing Portfolio, acknowledge member contributions and reflect on lessons learned. This will enable a smooth transition into the next phase reform work through the Health and Social Care Reform portfolio.

For those unable to attend today, their feedback on lessons learned and general reflections on the CWP will be collected digitally and taken into consideration.

CWP Board legacy and transition to Health and Social Care Reform 

KW provided an overview on the purpose of the closure report which reviews the original scope and key achievements of the CWP and delivery plan over the past three years. It highlights the benefits realised throughout the Portfolio, particularly in Preventative and Proactive Care, Place and Wellbeing, Analysis and Evidence, Service Co-Design and Digital and Data. The report considers the benefits of different working methods that can be integrated into the new Health and Social Care Reform Portfolio.

The closure report provides assurance to Board members of a managed closure and transition into the new HSC Portfolio. The report includes the formal process of stepping down CWP governance, adhering to best practices for portfolio programme management. This involves closing the processes and procedures set up to manage and deliver the Portfolio. 

The draft closure report will be updated with reflections from this meeting and presented to the Reform Executive on 27 March 2025 for final approval. Members are encouraged to provide feedback on the report to ensure it accurately captures their views and highlights any gaps.  

There was a brief discussion on the closure report and Board members were asked to feedback initial thoughts on this. It was noted that significant achievements had been made since August 2022 including successful integration of population health and system sustainability, improved policy coherence acknowledging that more is required, whole system approach to HSC reform with diverse interests and local government collaboration, CWP Board effective at capturing strategic thinking and provided prescriptive strategy to align core objectives.

CM and RF noted their gratitude for Board members efforts in bringing coherence and their role in contributing to the CWP to date and the transition to the new HSC Reform Portfolio holds promise

Lessons learned from the Care and Wellbeing Portfolio 

RF advised that key learning include the need for broader and more comprehensive project inclusion, disciplined alignment with government strategies, and enhanced delivery at scale. Future efforts should focus on maintaining policy and delivery coherence, achieving political authority, and integrating administrative governance with political requirements. These foundations will guide the next steps in health and social care reform. 

Summary of Board discussion on this item and emerging themes: 

What could be improved for future portfolios

• more disciplined, scalable delivery grounded in Scotland's political realities
• align economic viability and development with programme goals

Communication and coherence

• ensure effective communication across all government levels and with external partners
• involve NHS and other groups in delivery-focused scope
• share regular updates on progress (dashboards, performance indicators)
• enhance stakeholder engagement and clear communication on national impact of change and involving the right people to deliver the change
• monitor progress with metrics and develop health outcome dashboards
• integrate reporting across reform 
• emphasise openness, transparency, providing regular updates

Integration of research and innovation essential for governance

• requires attention, investment, and embedding in future systems

Service reimagining

• move beyond redesign to reimagining and re-contracting services
• HSC Reform alignment with the wider public sector reform agenda
• focus on cross-cutting areas; avoid a two-tier system
• consistent focus on enablers 

Finance and workforce prioritisation

 

• prioritise workforce in the reform agenda
• recognise finance as an essential enabler, influencing behaviours and investment in prevention

AOB

CM thanked the Board for their contributions and encouraged Members to reach out with any further thoughts or follow-up questions. She expressed her gratitude to everyone for their hard work and contributions, including Malcolm Summers, Kim Walker and the PMO team, emphasising that their efforts are greatly appreciated.

There were no other items of business, and the Chair closed the meeting.