NHS Delivery - a new national delivery organisation: consultation

Foreword

Ensuring the availability of high-quality health and social care to the Scottish population is one of the single most important responsibilities we as the Scottish Government hold. That is why reform of our health and social care system is essential if we are to be able to respond effectively to the future challenges we face including shifting demographics, growing demand, the impacts of changing climate on people’s health, and increasing financial pressures.

As part of wider efforts to implement our Service Renewal Framework and give effect to the population-level aspirations of the Population Health Framework, it is important that we put in place the right national capability to enable the delivery of services which are efficient, effective and reflective of the future needs of the Scottish population and the local services that support them. It is on this basis that I am pleased to bring forward this consultation paper which seeks views on the establishment of a new national delivery organisation to lead transformation across our system.

This new organisation will be a national enabler of change, helping to deliver the ambitions of the Health & Social Care Service Renewal Framework as well as the wider Public Service Reform Strategy. I intend to bring the existing strengths of NHS Education for Scotland and NHS National Services Scotland together to create an organisation that will drive Once for Scotland services, lead on digital transformation, improvement, workforce development, service infrastructure, and innovation.

This consultation seeks views on our proposals for the initial establishment of the new organisation from April 2026. It also seeks early input on how – over time – we might build on those strong foundations to deliver the scale of transformation the Service Renewal Framework commits us to.

I am grateful to our partners and the public for taking the time to consider our proposals and for sharing your views on how we make this important change to the way in which we deliver health and social care services to the people of Scotland. I look forward to considering your feedback in the period ahead.

Neil Gray

Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care

Scottish Government