Integration in Action in the Highlands

For the last three years NHS Highland has been on a journey of transformational change of the delivery of health and social care across the North of Scotland. Under a lead agency mode all adult social care services were transferred to NHS Highland from the Highland Council in April 2012 under a partnership agreement.NHS Highland now holds responsibility for the delivery of all adult services. The aim was to achieve the best possible outcomes for the people of Highland NHS Highland has developed a locality based service with single point of access for professionals, clients, patients and their families co-located and co-producing, utilising the local assets available. Key findings have been that the lead agency model has been without additional bureaucracy but has clarified governance and maximised the expertise of individual professionals. This new model of service has made major service re-design of hospital and community services more acceptable leading proposals which would see rationalisation hospital services and development of community services, transport and community resilience.