Planning For Integration - Big Changes For Health and Care Services

16th February 2012

Caithness Meeting 7.00 - 9.00pm 23rd February 2011 Mackays Hotel, Wick
For other meetings see below.

On 16 December 2010, the Board of NHS Highland and Members of The Highland Council agreed in principle to commit to planning for the integration of health, education and social care services. A formal implementation plan is being developed. The first part of this plan was
presented to a meeting of The Highland Council and NHS Highland Board on 12 May 2011, and the second part was considered at another joint meeting on 23 June 2011.

At the meeting on 12 May, members of The Highland Council and directors of NHS Highland confirmed their intention to progress far-reaching plans to integrate health, education and social care services in the Highlands.

The second report, presented to the joint meeting of the two organisations on 23 June, set out the scope of services to be transferred to each lead agency and the governance arrangements to ensure each agency is able to discharge its new responsibilities whilst retaining accountability.

The Highland Council and NHS Highland are now developing planning for integration on the basis that the most appropriate single lead agency for the delivery of Adult Care is NHS Highland and that the most appropriate single lead agency for Children's Services is The Highland Council.

The detail of the changes required to achieve integration will be decided by everyone involved in health, education and social work services - both people using the services and those working within the services. Some public meetings have already been held and there are more to come.

People in the Highlands are invited to find out more about, and have an opportunity to have their say on the development of Planning for Integration of health, education and social care services in the area provided by NHS Highland and The Highland Council.

At eight public meetings in February and March, Jan Baird, Planning for Integration, Transitions Director will explain how, from 1 April 2012, staff are being brought together into integrated teams to work with children and families and with people who use community care services.

The public meetings will be held on:
16 February at 7pm - Chamber, Highland Council Offices, High Street, Dingwall;
21 February at 7pm - Duthac Centre, Shandwick Street, Tain;
23 February at 7pm - Mackays Hotel, Union Street, Wick;
27 February at 7pm - Cairngorm Hotel, Grampian Road, Aviemore;
5 March at 7pm - Tigh Na Sgire, Highland Council Offices, Portree;
8 March at 7pm - Highland Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness;
13 March at 7pm - Macphail Centre, Mill Street, Ullapool; and
20 March at 7pm - Ben Nevis Hotel, North Road, Fort William.

The meetings are open to everyone and will aim to help people who use the services understand how the integrated NHS/Council teams can make decisions more quickly, allowing a more flexible and responsive service to users.

Updates on the development of planning for integration will be given at the public meetings which take place from 7pm to 9pm.

For further information about the development of planning for integration, or to submit questions in advance of the meeting; or make known any special requirements/needs to help take part, please telephone 01463 706751 email: p4i[AT]highlandlife.net

Many details about the changes can be found on the Planning for integrations web site at
http://highlandlife.net/planning_for_integration