Delivering for Health
Delivering for Health was published in October 2005. It builds on the vision and principles of the Kerr Report to set a new policy agenda for NHS Scotland. It calls for:
- a fundamental shift in the way the NHS works, from a hospital-driven service to one that is community based
- a focus on meeting the twin challenges of an ageing population and the rising numbers of patients with long-term conditions like diabetes and asthma
- a concentration on preventing ill-health and treating people faster and closer to home
- a national eHealth programme to support service developments, with the creation of a single electronic health record (EHR) for each patient.
An entirely new vision for health services is described in the document, with the emphasis swinging from hospital-based to community-based services. Click here to see a summary of the future model of services set out in the document
Delivering for Health gives nurses in the community massive opportunities to play their part in delivering safe and effective services for patients closer to their homes. The review of community nursing will try to show how nurses can refine and develop their roles to deliver better services in teams with other professionals.