NHS recovery plan

Principles for Safe and Effective Recovery

The NHS Recovery Plan is a whole system plan that puts the needs of patients at its heart in order to provide services in the right place at the right time. The plan, which will reshape delivery to support sustainable performance against targets and achieve the necessary shift in the balance of care to support a healthier future for Scotland, will adhere to a key set of principles that include:

Maintain our capacity to respond to the pandemic by maintaining our Test and Protect and vaccinations services, we will increase our ICU capacity and we will stand ready to respond to any resurgence of the virus.

Focus on the whole system the pandemic has demonstrated the crucial interdependencies between the different parts of the health and social care system, and with other parts of society. We will make sure our approach recognises the important connections between services and systems and helps them work together.

The framework that we take forward, in consultation with our partners including local government, staff and service users, will highlight the interdependencies and put in place processes to ensure resources are allocated where they are most needed to ensure the whole system operates effectively and efficiently.

Quality, values & experience we will ensure that as we resume services, the highest standards of quality in care are maintained. We will practise Realistic Medicine. We will share decisions with patients based on what matters to them. We will also engage with the public, and workforce to understand what people most value, and what is safe, sustainable, high quality health and social care support system will look like in the future rooted in individual and staff wellbeing.

Services close to peoples home the pandemic has resulted in a wave of community-based responses, highlighting the value of both technology but also the benefit to people's wellbeing of personal connections that listen to what the patient needs and what matters to them.

We will design services so that we minimise unnecessary travel and increase the focus on 'net-zero' approaches.

We will continue to support the move to more health care being provided in the community and closer to home. We will evaluate and develop the role of virtual consultations and Covid community hubs, ensuring that the people who are most vulnerable are not missing out.

Improved population health This pandemic has highlighted the value of rooting our approach in the National Planning Framework, the importance of preventative practices and public cooperation. We will increase our work on prevention, improving life expectancy and promoting physical and mental health.

Focus on putting in place services, environments and wider approaches that support people to live healthy lives

Services that promote equality This pandemic has exposed and exacerbated deep-rooted health and social inequalities.

We will act to mitigate these and ensure that services are provided in a way that is proportionate to need.

The framework that we take forward will focus on how to best support those that are most vulnerable (socially and clinically) in our society.

Sustainability We recognise the financial sustainability challenges of the pre-Covid health and care system.

We will design a new sustainable system, focused on reducing inequality and improving health and wellbeing outcomes, and sustainable communities.

Value and support the workforce across the health and social care system through policies and direct support that puts the wellbeing of our staff first.