NHS Forth Valley was escalated to Stage 4 of the NHS Scotland Performance Escalation Framework (now called the NHS Scotland Support and Intervention Framework) on 23rd November 2022 for governance, leadership and culture. As a result, an Assurance Board was established by the Scottish Government to oversee the implementation of an Assurance and Improvement Plan developed by NHS Forth Valley’s Senior Leadership Team.
On 1st October 2024, NHS Forth Valley was moved to stage 3 on the Support and Intervention Framework following considerable progress against measures outlined in our improvement plan. You can read the national news release here. While the Assurance Board has been stood down, it is recognised that there is more to do to ensure we maintain and build on the changes and improvements made over the last two years and work will continue with Scottish Government colleagues to monitor progress going forward.
You can find out more about the Assurance Board, including membership, terms of reference, minutes of meetings and updates to MSPs on the Scottish Government website.
Our key focus, while on strengthening our leadership informed by effective governance and cultural improvement, is centred around three guiding principles :-
- Putting patients first – everyone who uses our services should expect to receive consistently high standards of care and treatment
- Supporting our staff – by ensuring that they have the right working conditions and resources to support their own wellbeing and deliver the best care and services possible
- Working in partnership – building and sustaining a culture of collaboration with partners based on trust and respect, learning, and sharing of best practice
The report recognises the extreme pressures being experienced across the hospital at the time of the visit due to increased patient numbers, delayed discharges and high levels of staff absence. Following the visit, immediate action taken to address many of the issues and concerns highlighted by the inspectors.
We recognise that there is still more work to do, and we are committed to fully addressing all of the report recommendations and working with the Assurance Board set up by the Scottish Government to drive forward the changes and improvements required across the organisation. Details of the work underway to address the recommendations are outlined in our wider Escalation Improvement Plan.
HIS Action Plan Updates
- Update and Summary of Improvements – October 2023
- Update from Board Meeting – July 2023
- Update from Board Meeting – January 2023
- Update from Board Meeting – March 2023
- 18 Week Progress Update – March 2023
- Update from Board Meeting – May 2023
Additional Information
You can read a copy of the Healthcare Improvement Scotland media release here and a copy of NHS Forth Valley’s media statement in response to the report here.