NHSScotland Chief Executive's Annual Report 2012/13

Chapter 7 Further Information and Links

FURTHER INFORMATION AND LINKS

DELIVERING HEALTHCARE IN SCOTLAND

NHSScotland consists of 14 Territorial NHS Boards, seven Special NHS Boards^[59] and a healthcare body - Healthcare Improvement Scotland. They are accountable to Scottish Ministers, supported by the Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorates. The Territorial NHS Boards are responsible for the protection and the improvement of their population's health and for the delivery of frontline healthcare services. The Special NHS Boards support the Territorial NHS Boards by providing a range of important services that are best provided by a single national organisation. Healthcare Improvement Scotland helps NHSScotland and independent healthcare providers deliver high quality, evidence-based care and scrutinises services to provide public assurance about quality and safety.

All NHS Boards work together for the benefit of the people of Scotland. They also work closely with partners in other parts of the public sector to fulfill the Scottish Government's Purpose and National Outcomes. Maintaining good health and social and economic participation is vital to sustainable economic growth.

A list of all Territorial and Special NHS Boards along with key information on each and links to their respective websites is provided at the end of this chapter.

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT IN NHSSCOTLAND

Each year, the Scottish Government sets performance targets for NHS Boards to ensure that the resources made available to them are directed to priority areas for improvement, consistent with the Government's Purpose and National Outcomes, and with the strategic direction set out in, The Healthcare Quality Strategy for Scotland*. These targets are focused on Health Improvement, Efficiency, Access and Treatment, and are known collectively as HEAT targets. In 2012/13 there were six HEAT targets due for delivery. These relatively few, but important targets helped NHSScotland deliver improvements in the quality of care and in health outcomes for the people of Scotland. Through this, they helped demonstrate the contribution NHS Boards made towards delivering the following Scottish Government National Outcomes:

• Our children have the best start in life and are ready to succeed.
• We have improved the life chances for children, young people and families at risk.
• We live longer, healthier lives.
• We have tackled the significant inequalities in Scottish society.
• We reduce the local and global environmental impact of our consumption and production.
• Our public services are high quality, continually improving, efficient and responsive to local people's needs.

The Scottish Government, in partnership with NHS Boards and other stakeholders, carries out an annual review of the HEAT targets - taking account of views and developments from across Scotland.

Once the HEAT targets have been agreed, NHS Boards prepare and publish their Local Delivery Plans (LDPs) which describe how they will achieve their stated objectives, including planned performance improvements for each target, risk management plans and the financial resources underpinning delivery. LDPs also include an overview of the local commitments NHS Boards have made to support delivery of Community Planning Partnerships' Single Outcome Agreements^[60].

Each year, the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing holds NHS Boards to account in public. These annual reviews focus on the impact NHS Boards are making in improving the quality of healthcare services, health of the population and value of the services they provide through HEAT targets, standards and other local commitments. HEAT performance data is also reported through the Scotland Performs website^[61], which gives the latest information on progress by the Scottish Government across a range of outcomes.

SCRUTINY IN NHSSCOTLAND

Scrutiny and inspection of NHSScotland has a crucial role in driving forward improvements in the quality of care and services provided to patients and their families, ensuring that our hospitals are safe and clean and that clinical practice is based on the national standards, guidance and best practice.

Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) is responsible for carrying out a range of scrutiny work on behalf of Scottish Ministers. This activity provides public assurance and supports NHS Boards to deliver high quality, evidence-based, safe, effective and person-centred care. It publishes nearly 100 inspection and review reports each year and in 2012/13 this included a number on the care of older people in acute hospitals and healthcare associated infection.

WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP

NHSScotland has a well-established, positive working relationship with staffside and remains committed to working closely with partners in local authorities, academia, industry and the third sector. This is crucial to achieving our ambitions for a healthier Scotland and to meeting the challenges of the years ahead. The Quality Strategy provides a basis for NHSScotland to work with partners, for example through Community Planning Partnerships, to secure progress towards the three Quality Ambitions, our 2020 Vision for Health and Social Care, the outcomes agreed locally and nationally through the Single Outcome Agreements, and the National Performance Framework.

NHSScotland has achieved recognition for its approach to industrial relations with staffside. Researchers from Nottingham University undertook research into the industrial relations model in NHSScotland that was introduced in 1999. The final report for this research was published on 1 February 2012. The two-year study reveals how a 'mature and positive' approach to industrial relations has helped underpin NHSScotland's commitment to high quality patient care: 'The Scottish Government and employers have fostered staff representatives' commitment to health policies and organisational restructuring in order to improve patient care.'

The study also shows that NHSScotland's handling of partnership agreements represents a leading-edge example and offers important lessons for public services throughout Britain: 'In our view, partnership in NHSScotland has matured into probably the most ambitious and important contemporary innovation in British public sector industrial relations.'^[62]

NHS BOARD KEY FACTS

TERRITORIAL NHS BOARDS

SPECIAL NHS BOARDS

HEALTHCARE IMPROVEMENT SCOTLAND

Sources: 2012 Mid-Year Population Estimates, National Records of Scotland. The 2012 Mid-Year Population Estimates are based on the 2011 Census and have been rolled forward using revised methodology. The 2012/13 NRAC (National Resource Allocation Committee) funding formula was not based on 2012 Mid-Year Population Estimates as these were not available at the time of the formula update. ISD Scotland National Statistics, NHS Scotland Workforce - Data as at 31 March 2013. NHS Board Annual Accounts - figures shown include non-DEL costs.