The Annual Review of NHS Forth Valley’s performance for 2022/23 took place yesterday (20th November 2023) at the Board’s headquarters in Stirling.

The event was hosted by the Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care, Michael Matheson MSP, and attended by members of the public, local staff and media.

Speaking after the Annual Review, NHS Forth Valley Chair, Janie McCusker, said: “The public haven’t been able to attend Annual Review meetings for the last few years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, so it was good to welcome people back and provide an update on our activities and performance over the last year.

“Covid-19 had a huge impact on the delivery of local health and care services, so our Annual Review also provided an opportunity to reflect on the work carried out over the last four years to adapt to new ways of working and recover from the pandemic. This included work to support local care homes and roll out a major Covid-19 vaccination programme.

“At the meeting, we set also out some of our key service developments, achievements and challenges as well as our priorities for the future. This included the introduction of new services and diagnostics scans for patients with bladder cancer, heart failure and osteoporosis as well as the expansion of clinical research.

“During the year, we launched a ground-breaking new partnership with the University of Stirling and Forth Valley College to focus on learning, careers, research and innovation and highlighted successes in recruiting a wide range of clinical and support staff, including a number of staff from overseas.

“We recognise that there is more to do to improve our performance in a number of service areas and improve the experience of local patients and staff. These remain key priorities for the future along with achieving greater financial sustainability and developing our workforce plans.”

Following the Chair’s short presentation, the Cabinet Secretary invited questions from those in the room and also highlighted a number of written questions submitted in advance. These covered a wide range of topics including access to local NHS dental services, support for children with neurodevelopmental delays, the impact of new housing developments, waiting times and appointment cancellations.

You can watch a recording of the Annual Review meeting on the NHS Forth Valley website.