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A year of achievement in the health service
29/12/2008
NHSScotland's success in delivering frontline care over the last year is the real tribute to its staff Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said today.
Publicly recording her thanks to health service staff at the end of the 60th anniversary year of the NHS in Scotland, Ms Sturgeon highlighted some of the key achievements made over the last year, attributing the progress to the hard work and dedication of NHSScotland's staff.
Major achievements in 2008 include:
- delivering faster care by meeting all the national maximum waiting times standards
- increasing by 10 per cent the progress towards meeting Cancer waiting times
- bringing on board more frontline staff to Scotland's largest public sector employer, NHSScotland - with more GPs, dentists, medical consultants, nurses and midwives
- providing landmark new investment in the shape of the publically-funded £842m New Southern Hospital - Scotland's biggest ever hospital building project
Ms Sturgeon said:
"This has been an important year for the NHS in Scotland. Underpinned by our health strategy Better Health, Better Care, multi-billion pound new investment and clear Health Efficiency Access and Treatment (HEAT) targets to drive progress, we have a clear vision of what we need to do in order to deliver the care and treatment patients need.
"Over the last year I have had opportunity to highlight many new achievements by the health service in Scotland and to see first-hand the advances the service is making in delivering faster, better care to patients.
"The Scottish Government is investing a record £33 billion in NHSScotland over the next three years. Every health board in Scotland has seen its funding increased and I am in no doubt that the impact of substantial funding is already delivering real results.
"There has been vast improvement delivering health care in-line with targets, reducing the amount of time people wait to receive treatment, and increasing the quality and effectiveness of care and services.
"This year I have also had the privilege to meet many of those who are working tirelessly to help NHSScotland to deliver the best care possible to patients across Scotland. I have seen true commitment to that 60th year old legacy and its principles. In wards, laboratories, GP surgeries and throughout the service: people are the NHS's greatest resource. They continue to improve the service provided to patients, across Scotland, across the healthcare system and I am very grateful for their ongoing dedication."
NHS Workforce statistics published by ISD Scotland on 16 2008 show that The statistics, from ISD Scotland, showed NHS Scotland's total workforce increased by 3,412 (2.1 per cent) last year to 165,551 (at September 30, 2008). More GPs, dentists, medical consultants, nurses and midwives are now employed by NHSScotland than ever before.
Scotland's health strategy is set out in Better Care, Better Health, published at the end of 2007.
HEAT targets are a core set of Ministerial objectives, targets and measures for the NHS. The targets are set each year. Progress is measured throughout the year and boards are held to account during their annual review with the Cabinet Secretary. There are 29 HEAT targets for 2009/10. These relatively few (but very important) targets concentrate NHS Boards on delivering better and more appropriate care for patients. They are designed to stretch NHS Boards in improving performance. HEAT targets are aligned with the Government's National Performance Framework and support the delivery of Single Outcome Agreements.
Every health board is the subject of an Annual Review, held in public and chaired by the Cabinet Secretary or Minister for Public Health.
Scotland's biggest ever hospital building project - the New Southern Hospital in Glasgow - will be entirely publicly funded. The £842 million project will see an integrated children's and adult hospital built on the site of the current Southern General Hospital. Its facilities will include: 1,109 single patient bedrooms with en-suite facilities; a helipad with a designated route to A&E; 20 high technology theatres; state of the art diagnostic facilities; IT facilities for health workers and education and training facilities.