13/01/2016
NHS Fife is embarking on the development of a new Clinical Strategy, which will provide a routemap for health services in Fife for the next 5 years and beyond.
Positive changes in lifestyles alongside advances in medical science mean that the population of Fife is living longer, with a projected increase of around 32,000 in the coming 20 years which will increase demand for all forms of healthcare.
It is this demand coupled with greater complexity in the needs of those requiring healthcare, which means that the delivery of services must to be examined and adapted if we are to ensure that the ongoing health needs of our population continue to be met.
Over the coming months, NHS Fife will work in partnership with clinicians, partners, patients, carers and the public, to review our services and how these are presently delivered. This review will consider existing arrangements and how these can been enhanced in order to enable NHS Fife to continue to provide high quality care to the people of Fife.
The development of the strategy itself will be driven by 7 distinct groups, each made up senior clinicians and representatives drawn from across the health, social care and the third sector. These groups will each focus on one of the following key areas;
- Urgent and 24/7 Care
- Scheduled Care
- Chronic Conditions and Frailty
- Cancer, Palliative and End of Life Care
- Women and Children’s Services
- Mental Health and Learning Disabilities
- eHealth, Estates and Support Services
The Clinical Strategy will be underpinned by a number of key principles that serve to provide a clear statement of purpose for the people who use our services, along with their families, carers, our partners and staff. The development process will ensure that the following principles are embedded within the new strategy:
It will….
- Take a Person Centred Approach
- Ensure services are Safe, Sustainable, Efficient and Adaptable over time
- Ensure care is provided closer to home wherever possible
- Ensure services are integrated between primary and secondary care
- Provide affordable solutions to utilise available funding as effectively as possible.
The views of our population will be crucial in how we develop our services and how these services will be delivered. We will be speaking with our communities to consider how our population wants to see their care delivered in the coming years; finding out what is important to them and what we can do to improve their experience when they require our care. This information will guide and inform the development of the strategy and will ensure that our population will receive high quality care, which is person-centred both is its approach and in its delivery.
The aim of the strategy is to provide services which support people to remain well at home and when further health needs develop, ensuring that any intervention is delivered as close to their home as possible.
The final strategy will enable NHS Fife to continue to deliver effective healthcare, which is fully integrated with social care partners, promotes improved health and reduces health inequalities whilst maintaining a continued focus on providing high quality patient care.
For the latest updates on the development of the strategy as it progresses, visit our dedicated website site at: