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Building on Success - Future Directions for the Allied Health Professions in Scotland
Setting the Scene
3. The Policy Context of Service Delivery
This chapter highlights the key policy initiatives behind
Building on Success.
Figure 1: Policy context of service delivery
3. The Policy Context of Service Delivery
Scotland needs health and social care services that are proactive in promoting health and wellbeing, and are responsive and flexible in meeting acute and enduring needs. Current policies in promoting health and health and social care are clearly focused on improving health and the quality of service provision in key areas. AHPs have a significant role to play in the planning and implementation of these initiatives.
While much has been achieved by individual professions in tackling health improvement and delivering service quality, there is clear recognition of the need for more effective multi-professional and partnership initiatives to achieve shared objectives. The Scottish Executive is committed to developing partnerships that support and sustain this change process. It is also determined to empower the diverse and highly skilled workforces who are the lifeblood of NHSScotland and education and social care services.
The policies and initiatives driving health care in Scotland give AHPs scope to utilise their full potential by responding positively and creatively to national and local priorities. They are summarised in Figure 1, and discussed in more detail in Appendix 1.
In the future, health professionals must work more effectively as a group and with colleagues in health, education and social care to meet the challenges posed by these policies. The involvement of people who use their services will be critical to this process, and will support informed and responsive service planning and development. Closer working among the professions and between them and service users will be the driver to improving services for the people of Scotland.
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