Views sought on Health and Social Care partnership Strategic Plan

The Scottish Borders Health and Social Care partnership have today launched an early discussion document, with the sub-title ‘A conversation with You’ to help develop their Strategic Plan which outlines proposals for how health and social care services in the Borders will be planned in future.

Members of the public are being asked for their views on this document by 5 June 2015 to help develop a first draft which will be issued for further public consultation between July and September.

NHS Borders, Scottish Borders Council (SBC) and voluntary and independent care partners are working together to put in place simple joint working arrangements with the aim of providing better, more joined up adult health and social care services in the Borders.

Susan Manion, Chief Officer for Health and Social Care Integration in the Borders explained: “The document which we are launching today provides an overview of the services we are integrating as well as our proposed vision, aims and objectives for the partnership.

“We are seeking views of the public to help us develop our plans for integrated services by the end of October this year. The document we are launching today is the first part of this process and we are seeking your views by 5 June to help inform a draft by mid-June.

“A series of meetings will be held across the Borders in May to support this process and to help us have the conversation with residents.

“A further round of consultation will take place between 1 July and 22 September over the more detailed plan before the final plan is prepared in October – once again supported by public meetings in late August and early September.

“Once the plan is finalised, it will be reviewed and renewed on a three-year basis and once again, this process will be supported by a programme of public engagement on an ongoing basis.”

Councillor Catriona Bhatia, SBC’s Executive Member for Health Service and Chair of the Integrated Joint Board added: “We must ensure the partnership best meets the needs of people of the Borders – but we can only do this with the input of the Borders’ public.

“I would strongly encourage anyone who can contribute to this process to tell us what matters to them as they can really help influence the way our services are delivered through Health and Social Care.

“Integration will be the most effective way of delivering services that make the best use of resources, abilities and skills we have.”

To download a copy of the strategic plan and/or to submit your views, please visit /corporate-information/integration/. 

For hard copies of the document or for more information, please email integration@scotborders.gov.uk or phone 0300 100 1800.