National Engagement On NHS Reform - Or Fob Us Off With Even More Research Programmes

5th June 2024

A national programme of engagement will take place over the next year to inform Scottish Government plans for health and social care reform.

Through a series of direct engagements with the workforce, service leaders, royal colleges, third sector groups and the people of Scotland, the Scottish Government will collect views on how best to transform services to meet changing demands. This is alongside work already being carried out through the Scottish Partnership Forum to gather views from NHS staff.

Health Secretary Neil Gray announced the plans as he outlined to Parliament the Scottish Government's overarching vision for NHS reform which focuses on key areas including; improving population health, prevention and early intervention, providing quality services and maximising access.

He also confirmed that, as part of on-going work to improve population health, five Scottish institutions will share £5 million of funding to conduct major research programmes. This includes research into improving rural healthcare, managing gestational diabetes in pregnant women and informing how unscheduled care services might better meet people’s needs.

Mr Gray said, "Scotland’s NHS is an institution of national pride and the principles of a health service free at the point of need, must always be protected.

"Significant transformation to how our health services operate has never been more urgent and our vision for reform focusses on changes within current NHS structures to deliver for Scotland.

“I want to give our workforce the voice they deserve, and I am fully committed to listening and speaking with our amazing health workers who will inform our future plans.

“The Scottish Government’s national engagement will gather insight from clinicians on how best to respond to health demands and hearing the experiences of those who care for people in Scotland is paramount.

“I am also pleased to announce five Scottish institutions - the Universities of Aberdeen, Edinburgh, St Andrews and Strathclyde, as well as Public Health Scotland, have been awarded £1 million of funding each through the Chief Scientist Office to conduct major research programmes into areas of population health. These five programmes have the potential to make a significant impact and can play a vital part in our on-going work in this field."

Five institutions will share funding of £5 million to conduct research programmes with a high level of impact to address important Scottish population health and/or NHS challenges with up to £1 million available per programme of up to five years in duration:

- University of Aberdeen – research to improve rural health and healthcare outcomes for people living in rural areas.

- University of Edinburgh – research to improve the management of gestational diabetes for mothers and their babies.

- University of St Andrews – research to improve unscheduled care for people in the last year of life.

- University of Strathclyde – research to reduce the negative impacts of justice on people’s health and increase opportunities to improve health and wellbeing in disadvantaged communities.

- Public Health Scotland – to support research to improve pregnancy and newborn screening.

Comment
£5million over 5 years is one million per year spread around 5 projects is £200,000 each per year. Then await published results and then action if any may come several years after that. We need issues address now not away in the distant future.