Scottish Government publishes NHS Scotland Operational Improvement Plan
- Area of Work: Policy and Research
- Type: News Item
- Published: 1st April 2025
NHS Scotland Operational Improvement Plan sets out actions to improve aspects of healthcare delivery.
The Scottish Government has published the operational improvement plan for NHS Scotland, detailing actions to improve specific aspects of NHS Scotland delivery to build on NHS board planning for 2025-26.
Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Neil Gray, announced that the plan focuses on four critical areas that the Government is committed to delivering, to help protect the quality and safety of care, supported by the increased investment for health and social care in the 2025-26 Scottish Budget. These critical areas are:
- improving access to treatment
- shifting the balance of care
- improving access to health and social care services through digital and technological innovation
- prevention – ensuring we work with people to prevent illness and more proactively meet their needs
The plan also outlines policy commitments such as a seven-day service in radiology, expansion of Hospital at Home and national rollout of the Digital Front Door app.
On a visit to Kirklands Hospital’s Flow Navigation Centre to launch the plan, Neil Gray said:
“This plan details how the Scottish Government will deliver a more accessible NHS, with reductions to long-waits and the pressures we currently see. It shows how we will use the £21.7 billion health and social care investment in the 2025-26 Budget to deliver significant improvements for patients.”
To develop the plan, the Government engaged with NHS staff and professional bodies, demonstrating the need for increased investment in the workforce. As well as the increases to boards’ core budgets for 2025-26, much of the additional investment, such as the £100 million for waiting times, is targeted for extra recruitment, with promises made to boards to provide recurring funding. Engagement will be built upon in the implementation phase of the plan.
In January, First Minister, John Swinney, described plans to renew the health service and deliver the change that people in Scotland need. This Operational Improvement Plan is the first document, followed by the population health framework and a health and social care service renewal framework. As a result, this is the first of 3 documents on the Government’s approach to health and social care renewal.
Together, these plans are intended to progress reform to ensure long-term sustainability, reduce health inequalities, further harness the benefits of digital technology, and improve population health outcomes in Scotland. They will set out how the Scottish Government will plan services for the population over the short, medium and longer term.
End of page.
You may also like:
Subscribe to receive future editions of the human rights newsletter.
Continue readingThis call comes after revelations of overuse of restraint and forced injections at adolescent inpatient psychiatric unit, Skye House.
Continue readingScotland's new national suicide prevention public awareness campaign and website launch.
Continue readingThis consultation is seeking views on how to introduce mandatory ethnicity and disability pay reporting for large employers.
Continue readingThese moves will plunge thousands of disabled people into hardship, and threaten Scotland’s devolved system.
Continue readingRead a statement from our Chief Officer, Sara Redmond, on the recent social security announcement from the UK government.
Continue readingCould you help shape the future of Human Rights in Scotland? Apply to join the SNAP2 Leadership Panel
Continue readingThe UN ICESCR Committee has issued its recommendations and several reflect points made by the ALLIANCE and our members.
Continue readingCarers Scotland launches their State of Caring in Scotland 2024 research report.
Continue readingThe ALLIANCE responds to the Equality, Human Rights, and Civil Justice Committee's inquiry into the the Public Sector Equality Duty.
Continue readingOur response calls for a human rights based approach to outcomes, and to consider how to strengthen the SHRC.
Continue readingA Scotland that Cares campaign calls on the Scottish Government to set a dedicated National Outcome on Care now.
Continue readingPublic Health Scotland have published a briefing on transport poverty and health inequalities.
Continue readingThe Scottish Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has published a report on the state of economic, social and cultural rights in Scotland.
Continue readingThe ALLIANCE welcomes the proposed strategy, though a Human Rights Bill is necessary for full effect.
Continue readingObesity Action Scotland wants to stop unhealthy food sponsorship at Scottish sports events including the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
Continue readingResidents of Leith’s famous Banana Flats (Cables Wynd House) have launched their human rights monitoring report.
Continue readingThe Scottish Human Rights Commission (SHRC) report finds troubling failures in progress from institutionalisation to independent living.
Continue readingThe updated SPSO Principles demonstrate a positive shift towards putting people and their human rights at the centre of complaints handling.
Continue readingThe Mental Welfare Commission calls for urgent changes so people with learning disability and complex needs can leave hospital and flourish.
Continue readingMinister announces parts of the National Care Service Bill will be dropped due to a lack of compromise and support.
Continue readingAre you aged 55+, living in the UK, and interested in supporting new research?
Continue readingWe have submitted a parallel report to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights for its examination of rights in the UK.
Continue readingThe ALLIANCE welcome the aims of widening access to palliative care, but actions must be underpinned by resources and accountability.
Continue readingAutistic Knowledge Development and National Autistic Society Scotland celebrate the success of the Embrace Autism programme.
Continue reading