ALLIANCE warns key gaps risk undermining NHS Delivery Plans
- Area of Work: Policy and Research
- Type: News Item
- Published: 28th November 2025
The ALLIANCE urges stronger social care integration, a clearer prevention focus and digital inclusion at the heart of NHS Delivery proposals
The Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland has submitted its response to the Scottish Government’s consultation on “NHS Delivery – a new national delivery organisation”.
The consultation was seeking views on plans to merge NHS Education for Scotland (NES) and NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) into one body – currently coined ‘NHS Delivery’. It is envisioned that this new organisation will be the sole national leader for innovation and digital transformation across health and social care.
The response, shaped by engagement with third sector organisation, those with lived experience and wider partners, welcomes the ambition and intention behind merging NES and NSS. The ALLIANCE believes a single national body could improve efficiency, data use, digital infrastructure and workforce planning – if designed well.
However, the ALLIANCE highlights several concerns in the proposals. Members outlined how the proposals are overly NHS-focused and gives too little consideration to social care, urging that social care be treated as an equal partner with clear routes for involvement. The ALLIANCE also warns that the draft plans do not yet show how the new body will support prevention, uphold human rights, reduce inequalities or involve people with lived experience and the third sector – all key principles of current health and social care reform strategies.
To strengthen the proposals, the ALLIANCE calls for:
- Digital inclusion to be a core priority
- A human rights based approach embedded throughout
- Deeper integration of the third sector and lived experience to avoid top-down decision making
These steps are essential if NHS Delivery is to truly support Scotland’s long-term health and social care transformation.
You can read the full response in the attached resources below.
End of page.
You may also like:
The 'joint statement on prevention' partners have issued a follow-up ahead of the 2026-27 Scottish Budget.
Continue readingEvent calls for human rights to be a priority ahead of the Scottish Parliament Elections in 2026.
Continue readingCommission raises concerns over the state of economic, social and cultural rights in Scotland
Continue readingNew online platform invites individuals and communities to shape Scotland’s path to net zero
Continue readingA survey of ALLIANCE third sector members found a worsening financial crisis arising from a range of pressures.
Continue readingThe ALLIANCE has produced a briefing for the Scottish Parliament debate on BSL, taking place on 11 December 2025.
Continue readingScottish Government outline actions in response to economic, social and cultural rights observations
The plan comes in response to the Concluding Observations from the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights earlier this year.
Continue readingNearly half of unpaid carers cut back on essentials as financial and health pressures intensify
Continue readingNew report warns thousands spending their final months in financial hardship and fuel poverty
Continue readingIndependent expert panel review recommends major changes to align abortion law with modern clinical practice
Continue readingALLIANCE and Engender call for an intersectional and rights-based approach to underpin a national investigation into maternity services.
Continue readingThe response welcomes ambition of draft standards but identifies key gaps in inclusion and communication
Continue readingThe Civil Society Working Group on Incorporation - of which the ALLIANCE is a member - has three main asks.
Continue readingMost respondents supported the principle of a balance between cross-cutting and condition-specific work.
Continue readingAny extension of Freedom of Information duties directly to the third sector must account for resource and capacity.
Continue readingThe Scottish Government are aiming for a single framework alongside time-limited action plans that can be condition-specific where required.
Continue readingNow is the time for a full-throated defence of the ECHR and HRA. No one has human rights, unless we all have human rights.
Continue readingHave your say in the draft 'Quality prescribing for Chronic Pain: a guide for improvement 2026-2029'.
Continue reading70% of disabled women reported feeling worse off financially compared to last year.
Continue readingA partnership of organisations including the ALLIANCE have issued an open statement on what's needed to urgently tackle health inequalities.
Continue readingA new plan to make sure everyone in Scotland gets the right care and support at the end of life
Continue readingNew research has highlighted the significant financial and social challenges faced by people living with Long COVID across Scotland.
Continue readingThe amendment aims to close a loophole that leaves people in outsourced mental health care without guaranteed human rights protections.
Continue readingThe resources come from a partnership between the ALLIANCE, Public Health Scotland, and the University of Strathclyde.
Continue readingThe research explores the experiences of people with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) navigating the welfare benefits system.
Continue reading