A new Chief Officer has been appointed to take forward the development of the new Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership – a joint partnership between NHS Forth Valley and Falkirk Council.

Patricia Cassidy, who was previously Corporate Director for Education, Communities and Organisational Development for Inverclyde Council, has extensive experience of working within both the health and local authority sectors. She has also worked in a number of national roles with sportsscotland, the Scottish Consumer Council and the Health Education Board for Scotland.

Patricia Cassidy, who will take up her new role on 14^th December 2015, said: “I am delighted to have been appointed to the post of Chief Officer for the new Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership and look forward to building on the joint work already underway to improve the health and wellbeing of local people across the Falkirk area.”

The new Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership aims to ensure that local health and social care services for adults are more joined-up, especially for people with long term conditions and disabilities.

This will make it easier and quicker for people to access the services and support they require to live safely and independently in their own homes for as long as possible. It will also make it easier for health and council staff to work together to provide care and support in a more co-ordinated way. This will help reduce delays and make care more seamless.

Jane Grant, Chief Executive of NHS Forth Valley, said: “Patricia has extensive experience of partnership working across the NHS, local authority and voluntary sectors and is therefore ideally placed to drive forward work to further improve the care and support available for local people.”

Falkirk Council’s Chief Executive Mary Pitcaithly said: “This is a key appointment for the new Partnership and marks a significant step forward in our ambition to transform the delivery of health and care services across the Falkirk area.”