NHS Delivery - a new national delivery organisation: consultation

Towards a New Delivery Model: The Role of NHS Delivery

In establishing NHS Delivery, Ministers are taking a decisive step to create a single national organisation that will act as an enabler of transformational change across health and social care. This new body is designed to overcome the fragmentation that currently exists, accelerate digital and workforce transformation, and deliver on the ambitions set out in the Service Renewal Framework.

Phase 1 – Preparing for Day 1

The first phase of our work will be primarily focussed on the consolidation of those functions currently held by NES and NSS and it is this phase that is the main focus of this consultation exercise.

Key immediate priorities for the organisation are:

• Ensuring continuity of all NES and NSS services for staff, partners and the public
• Establishing refreshed leadership and governance, bringing NES & NSS into a single organisation with robust practices and processes for the planning and delivery of future activity and, in doing so, set it up for future success.
• To work alongside the Scottish Government and partners across the health and social care system to fully define future ambitions for the new organisation.

We wish to capitalise on the immediate opportunities which can be achieved through bringing together NES and NSS and to build early momentum in delivering the system-wide change required if we are to realise the ambitions of the SRF – making it possible to deliver digital transformation, workforce development, and service innovation at scale and pace. That is why, as a first step, Ministers intend to merge the functions of NES and NSS by 1 April 2026.

We are seeking your views on:

• Do you agree with the intention to create a new national organisation to drive forward digital transformation and system change, beginning with the merger of NES and NSS?
• What immediate opportunities or priorities should NHS Delivery focus on from Day 1?
• Are there services or functions currently delivered by other organisations that you believe should be integrated into NHS Delivery to improve consistency and reduce duplication?

Phase 2 – Shaping the future organisation

The expectation is that NHS Delivery will evolve significantly following the initial bringing together of NES and NSS. Ministers are keen to explore how this new organisation could ultimately support activity beyond the scope of that currently delivered by the two legacy organisations to enable whole-system reform across both health and social care and this will be the focus of phase two of our work. This will represent Phase 2 of our approach it is our intention to undertake broad-ranging partner engagement and further public consultation throughout 2026 as we work to agree the full scope of activity to be delivered in partnership with others.

This includes considering the transfer of additional functions from other bodies and the potential for NHS Delivery to take on new roles to support system-wide transformation. There may be other areas which require strengthening as well and these will only become clear through further dialogue with partners and the public. We have used the ‘What Will Change’ section of this paper to set out our early thinking on potential future opportunities for NHS Delivery and would welcome early views on those through the questions included at the end of the document, noting our plans for further detailed dialogue in the months ahead.

We would welcome your early views on:

• As NHS Delivery evolves, what additional capabilities, functions, or bodies should be considered for integration?
• What principles should guide decisions about the future expansion of NHS Delivery’s remit and structure?
• What mechanisms should be put in place to review and adapt NHS Delivery’s remit and performance post-launch?

Your feedback will help shape both the immediate priorities and the long-term evolution of NHS Delivery, ensuring it is set up to deliver the transformational change Scotland needs.