Health and Care Improving Flow Plan 2026 - 2031
A five-year Scottish Government strategy to improve flow through health and care by creating one connected system, shifting more care to homes and communities, improving access and navigation, reducing hospital delays, and ensuring hospitals focus on urgent and specialist care.
5. Our Ambition
Our ambition is simple:
One connected system, simple routes to care, ensuring every person receives the most appropriate response as quickly as possible.
At its heart, improving flow is about people. Our ambition will deliver on our Health and Social Care Vision and its core values, building on our Service Renewal Framework and Population Health Framework.
Source: Scottish Government, Health and Social Care Service Renewal Framework.
Prevention – You will be supported to manage your health and care earlier and in the most appropriate setting, with more care delivered in your home and community. This means wherever possible you will recover in your own bed or in your local area, more connected to your own support network, preventing further ill-health. By developing one connected system, with simple routes to care we will better manage the complexities inherent in everyday life, provide holistic support and tackle the inequalities in our society, anticipating and preventing further health needs.
Person Led – Your time is your most precious resource, let’s not waste it. This plan will reduce your time waiting for care, support you to navigate the system and get you back to your home, loved ones and community as soon as possible. It will get you the care you need, when you need it and build the wraparound support to be healthier, happier and more independent.
Access – No one wants to be bounced from pillar to post, telling their story repeatedly. This plan will direct you to the care you need seamlessly, connecting the system more efficiently and removing the need for you to navigate disparate services yourself.
Quality – Health and social care services are among Scotland’s most valued public services, delivering high quality care for those that need it most. This plan will build on that legacy, strengthening the continuity of care you receive, putting patient safety at the heart and working whole system to deliver changes that ensure you receive the highest quality of care at every stage.