ARGYLL and Bute’s chief health and social care officer has pledged to prioritise person-centred care as part of a strategy for the future.
But Evan Beswick has also stressed the importance of partnership in helping residents to live the lives they aspire to, saying: “We cannot achieve this on our own.”
He gave the details in a report ahead of the area’s health and social care partnership (HSCP) presenting its joint strategic plan for its services through to 2031.
He also warned that “difficult compromises” are in store, including embracing digital transformation and redesigning services for efficiency.
The details feature in a report to go before the HSCP’s integration joint board at its meeting on Wednesday, May 27.
Mr Beswick said: “This strategic plan sets out our priorities for delivering high-quality, sustainable care in a context shaped by demographic pressures, public sector policy and reform, as well as tightening public sector finances. In this context, our strategic approach must be both ambitious and pragmatic.
“We remain committed to the integration of health and social care services, ensuring that individuals experience seamless support across organisational boundaries. Through close collaboration within our HSCP and with our wider partners, we will continue to plan services using a whole system approach to improve outcomes.
“We will prioritise person-centred care, placing individuals, families and carers at the heart of service design and delivery.
“Our focus on prevention and early intervention will help mitigate demand for our hospital services and support people to live independently and well in their communities while supporting those who care for them.
“We also know that many of our services have built dependency and reduced people’s capabilities. We will transform services so that they maximise people’s independence in the knowledge that this goes hand in hand with positive outcomes for people.
“This will mean that we will not provide some aspects of service for which an expectation previously existed. All of these choices will be challenging but must be focused on outcomes for people.”
He added: “Given the fiscal constraints, we must make difficult compromises and ensure every service delivers maximum impact. This means embracing digital transformation, redesigning services for efficiency, and investing in data driven planning to target resources where they are needed most.
“We will also ensure that our decisions are evidence-based and focus on positive outcomes for the population. We will uphold our commitment to equity and quality, ensuring that services are accessible and responsive, particularly for those most affected by poverty, isolation, poor health or remote geography.
“This means more of our services will be targeted, in preference to universal. At the same time, we will strengthen governance and accountability to monitor progress and provide information on decisions. Partnership must be at the heart of what we do.
“As a HSCP we play a vital role in helping people in Argyll and Bute live the lives to which they rightly aspire. However, we cannot achieve this on our own.
“We will collaborate with our partners – in the statutory sector, the independent sector and communities – to address poverty, inequality, loneliness and lack of adequate housing.”
