NHS Delivery - a new national delivery organisation: consultation

Building from a Position of Strength

When considering the case for establishing NHS Delivery, it is important to acknowledge the high performing nature of the two organisations who will come together. With a shared ambition to support the NHS in Scotland and wider needs of health and social care, both NES and NSS already provide national solutions to improve health and wellbeing and enable the people of Scotland to lead healthy and active lives.

Our health and social care workforce are our system’s most valued and important asset. Without them, delivery of the services on which we all rely simply would not be possible. It is therefore important that we support them, and NES is the system leader for NHS Scotland in this regard.

Through the use of technology enabled learning, organisational and leadership development, workforce and learning analytics and digital development, NES is critical in ensuring staff are supported, skilled, capable, digitally enabled and motivated to deliver improved outcomes.

NES leads national programmes such as the NHS Scotland Academy and NHS Scotland Youth Academy (in partnership with NHS Golden Jubilee), the National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care, and the Centre for Workforce Supply as well as overseeing postgraduate training for a range of clinical disciplines and employing all GP and National Programme resident doctors working in Scotland’s NHS. NES also works in partnership with the Scottish Social Services Council to provide a range of learning products and opportunities for the whole of the social care workforce.

Building on the above, it is essential that we not only provide health and social care staff with the skills and knowledge required to deliver, but also give them access to the tools, systems and wider services they need to do their jobs effectively.

Both NES and NSS play an important role in ensuring NHS Scotland has robust digital foundations and applications in place to enable people across Scotland to access information and services digitally to support their health and social care. NES work to deliver the national digital platform for NHS Scotland and a wide range of other digital technology solutions. NSS Digital and Security specialise in the delivery and management of digital, data, and artificial intelligence platforms, alongside cyber security and other digital support services.

‘Once for Scotland’ support services are a cornerstone of our health and social care system, and NSS has a long history of delivering national services that enable others to succeed. From the safe supply of blood to the timely distribution of goods and effective financial management of one-third of NHS Scotland’s annual budget, NSS ensures that health boards and partners can deliver with confidence.

NSS hosts major national services that are central to NHS Scotland’s future. The National Services Directorate supports national planning and commissions specialist services, including screening programmes. NHS Scotland Assure leads on net zero and ensures healthcare environments are safe and sustainable. The Primary and Community Care directorate delivers essential support for GPs, dentists, opticians, and pharmacies—enabling the shift to community-based care, in line with national reform priorities.

Corporate shared services such as finance, HR, digital, and legal remain critical to NHS Scotland’s delivery. NSS leads on implementing a single business systems approach for NHS Scotland and is exploring expansion of its payroll service to all health boards. These shared services underpin the system and support delivery across the public sector.

Together, the services delivered by both NSS and NES provide crucial support to the health and social care system and facilitate improved health and wellbeing outcomes for the people of Scotland.

NES and NSS – Delivering for NHS Scotland

NES

Supporting Careers across NHS Scotland, with 555,458 visits to NHS Scotland Careers Website in 2024/25

Coordination of Undergraduate placements in 2024/25:

• 6,738 Medical
• 949 Dental
• 1,108 Pharmacy

Delivery of new, accelerated programmes of learning and development for key roles in health and social care workforce through the NHS Scotland Academy

NSS

Plasma for Medicines – 1,037 plasma donors recruited, 1,785 litres of plasma collected, and 17,834 litres of recovered plasma processed to meet growing demand

Connecting Scotland – 6,000 plus health and local authority sides now connected digitally via the Scottish Wide Area Networks (SWAN)

Specialist Health Services - £340 million of services nationally commissioned on behalf of NHS Scotland

Sharing Services - £2.5 billion of payroll administered by NSS on behalf of territorial health boards

Both NES and NSS have been at the forefront of digital transformation and innovation, delivering the national digital platform, supporting digital inclusion, and enabling the shift to community-based, person-centred care. Their combined expertise has been critical in responding to system challenges, from pandemic response to the rollout of new technologies and workforce models.

However, as highlighted in the Service Renewal Framework and Population Health Framework, the next phase of transformation requires more than strong individual organisations – it requires a unified, integrated approach. By bringing NES and NSS together, Scotland can:

• Eliminate duplication and fragmentation in national support functions,
• Accelerate digital and workforce transformation at scale,
• Strengthen the “Once for Scotland” ethos, ensuring consistency, efficiency, and innovation across the system,
• Provide a single point of accountability and leadership for national delivery, supporting the ambitions of the SRF and PHF.

In short, NHS Delivery will build on the proven strengths of NES and NSS, unlocking even greater value for the people of Scotland, and ensuring the system is equipped to deliver on its bold vision for the future.