Scottish Government

NHS24

NHS24 provides timely information and guidance on health needs, appropriate treatment and access to services and resources for the people of Scotland. Its core role is providing patients with advice and triage during the out-of-hours period when GP surgeries are closed.

• NHS24 received over 1.5 million calls, an increase of 6 per cent over the previous year.
• The response times targets were all exceeded, reflecting increased number of call handlers and the development of the call handler role to enable them to direct calls to a range of health professionals and services as required.
• The NHS24 website was redesigned in 2007/08 to improve the service that it provides to the public.
• The sickness absence target for 2007/08 has not been achieved. In response NHS24 management, working with the unions, developed an Attendance Management Plan. The issue of attendance management also forms part of the NHS24 Workforce Plan for 2008/09.
• The financial balance target was achieved.

The annual report for NHS24

National Waiting Times Centre Board

The National Waiting Times Centre Board operates the Golden Jubilee National Hospital and the Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre. The Board provides activity to support Health Boards across Scotland to deliver waiting times targets. It also incorporates the new West of Scotland Heart and Lung Centre - one of the largest specialist units in the UK.

• The National Waiting Times Centre Board exceeded its delivery target by carrying out 29,301 procedures during the year.
• There were no proven incidences of Healthcare Associated Infections (including MRSA and C.diff).
• The West of Scotland Heart and Lung Centre became operational in late 2007. Service migration from NHS Lanarkshire and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde was completed in early May 2008.
• The National Waiting Times Centre Board achieved a sickness absence rate of 4.96 per cent. It is on track to meet the March 2009 target.
• It achieved all three financial targets and exceeded its efficiency saving targets.

The annual report for the National Waiting Times Centre Board

The State Hospital Board

The State Hospital Board provides assessment, treatment and care in conditions of special security for individuals with mental disorder who, because of their dangerous, violent or criminal propensities, cannot be cared for in any other setting. The Hospital is a national service for Scotland and Northern Ireland.

• The Full Business Case for development of the State Hospital was approved. The building programme began in March 2008.
• There has been continued reduction in the rate of patients who smoke from 84 per cent in 2005/06 to 65 per cent in 2007/08.
• Bed occupancy at end March was 175, reduced from 199 at the start of the year, reflecting particularly the patients who have been detained in excessive levels of security.
• Waiting times targets were met for access to therapies and patient services.
• There was a continued improvement in the number of patients discharged/transferred using the Care Programme Approach with 100 per cent compliance from November onwards.
• The Boards adopted a standardised approach to clinical risk assessment and management.
• Sickness absence in March was 4.92 per cent with the annual average being 4.42 per cent. The Board is on track to meet the March 2009 target.
• The Board remained within its statutory financial targets, with an under spend of £64,000 against the revenue resource limit and £11,000 against the capital resource limit.

The annual report for The State Hospital Board

NHS Quality Improvement Scotland ( QIS)

NHS Quality Improvement Scotland supports NHSScotland in the delivery of: consistently high standards of care and equity of access; improved outcomes for patients; better experiences for patients and carers; best use of resources; and supports NHS staff in the provision of effective clinical practice and service improvements.

• The Scottish Patient Safety Alliance was launched in 2007. QIS supported a range of learning and training sessions for all territorial Boards.
• Completed reviews of how each Health Board performed against the standards set for clinical governance and risk management showing that all Health Boards had made significant progress.
• Published a health technology assessment on screening for meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus ( MRSA) which is an important step in developing screening policy, and reducing risk of infection in acute hospitals.
• Published standards setting out the levels of care Health Boards should provide for core cancer services and those specific to bowel, breast, lung and ovarian which will help improvements in prevention, detection, treatment and care of those with cancer.
• A range of advice, guidance, and standards published throughout 2007/08 covering coronary heart disease, stroke, mental health, primary and community care, diabetes, chronic pain services, nutritional care, alcohol services and sexual health providing a vital contribution to supporting Health Boards to improve quality of services and outcomes for patients.
• Increased the role of the public and stakeholder organisations in the development of advice, guidance and setting standards.
• The Board met all its financial targets for 2007/08 with a slight underspend of £398,000 against a revenue resource limit of £16 million and a breakeven on a capital resource limit of £294,000.

The annual report for NHSQIS

Scottish Ambulance Service ( SAS)

The Scottish Ambulance Service provides comprehensive accident and emergency and non-emergency ambulance services for the whole of Scotland.

• The number of unnecessary hospital attendances was reduced with the number of patients treated at the scene rising from 8 per cent in 2006/07 to 9.2 per cent in 2007/08.
• In terms of 'lives saved', survival rates from pre-hospital cardiac arrest rose to 23.4 per cent compared to 17 per cent in 2005/06.
• Survey data on patient experience showed a very high level of satisfaction amongst A&E patients (98 per cent) and Patient Transport Service patients (97 per cent).
• The response within target times for Category A (life threatening) calls rose from 55.7 per cent in 2006/07 to 62 per cent in 2007/08.
• Similarly, responses to Category B (serious, but not immediately life threatening) calls improved from 88.2 per cent in 2006/07 to 91.4 per cent in 2007/08.
• For Patient Transport Service patients, the proportion who arrived 30 minutes or less before their appointment time rose slightly (by 0.2 per cent) to 69.4 per cent. Air Ambulance demand increased by 4.4 per cent in 2007/08, with performance remaining at a high level - 96 per cent of cases were reached within 60 minutes and 97 per cent of planned cases arrived within the time agreed with the clinician.
• The sickness absence rate rose slightly from 5.6 per cent in 2006/07 to 5.8 per cent in 2007/08, although this continues to benchmark reasonably well against other UK ambulance services.
• SAS achieved financial balance and delivered the lowest cost per A&E incident of any UK ambulance service.

The annual report for the Scottish Ambulance Service

NHS Health Scotland

NHS Health Scotland provides leadership and works with partners to improve health and reduce health inequalities in Scotland.

• NHS Health Scotland makes a national contribution to the Scottish Government's health improvement priorities such as alcohol problems, preventing smoking and the new anti-cancer HPV immunisation programme.
• NHS Health Scotland developed the Health Improvement Performance Management Framework which covers six priority areas (smoking, alcohol, healthy weight, early years, health inequalities and mental wellbeing). It also used the framework to help review the HEAT health improvement targets for 2008/09.
• NHS Health Scotland provided support for the Scottish Public Health Observatory to ensure that the Scot PHO website and associated report continue to be the premier portal to population health information for Scotland.
• The annual sickness absence rate for 2007/08 was 3.53 per cent which is within the government efficiency target of 4 per cent.
• NHS Health Scotland operated within its financial limits in 2007/08 and in fact spent £22,000 less than its cash requirement set by the Scottish Government.
• NHS Health Scotland exceeded its efficiency targets for the period 2005-08 by £8,000.

The annual report for NHS Health Scotland

NHS Education for Scotland ( NES)

NHS Education for Scotland develops educational solutions for workforce development by designing, commissioning, quality assuring and, where appropriate, providing education for all staff groups in the NHSScotland workforce.

• National management of the MMC Specialty Training selection and recruitment process resulted in an overall fill rate of 86 per cent being secured.
• Broadly met target fill rates for Foundation Training posts; and exceeded on the provision of training places for GP registrars (+6 per cent), Vocational Dental Practice Trainees (+3 per cent) and Clinical Psychologists (+65 per cent).
• Played a key role in developing education and training programmes to support new and enhanced roles.
• Through the Flying Start programme, is providing support to over 6,000 newly qualified nurses, midwives and allied health professionals to assist in making the transition from student to newly qualified health professional and in turn to positively impact on staff retention at Health Board level.
• Developed a national continuous professional development strategy to secure a consistent, quality assured approach to HAI education and training for all healthcare staff in Scotland.
• Worked with partners including the Scottish Funding Council, Health Boards and the Higher Education sector to establish the Remote and Rural Healthcare Educational Alliance ( RRHEAL).
• Secured an annual sickness absence rate of 2.85 per cent, well below the NHSScotland target of 4 per cent.
• Met all financial targets and delivered a total saving of £15.1 million compared to a planned saving of £13.9 million (+9 per cent).

The annual report for NHSNES

NHS National Services Scotland ( NSS)

NHS National Services Scotland provides a range of national and specialist services which enable and support improvements in the health and wellbeing of Scotland's population.

• NSS received 230,041 donations of blood during the year and treated over 49,000 patients with blood components.
• Supplied more than 9,000 products to Health Boards under National Procurement.
• Made £2 billion of payments on behalf of Health Boards to GPs, pharmacists, dentists and opticians, 98 per cent of which were accurate and on time.
• Implemented the successful roll out of the Scottish Cervical Call and Recall System to 16,000 users.
• Introduced the Bowel Screening Programme. When fully implemented this will save 150 lives per year.
• Prepared for the roll out of the Human Papillomavirus ( HPV) Immunisation Programme to 180,000 girls between 2008 and 2010.
• Achieved 18 week waiting time for all specialist services by December 2007.
• Met all the HEAT Efficiency and Financial targets included in its Local Delivery Plan.
• The Board secured £12.2 million of savings towards the Efficient Government target in 2007/08 bringing cumulative savings to £73 million over the last three years.

The annual report for NHSNSS