Health chiefs launch 10-year wellbeing vision for Moray
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A HEALTHCARE vision for Moray developed along with innovative thinkers from Glasgow School of Art has been outlined as a blueprint for the next decade.
Jonathan Passmore, chairman of Moray Integrated Joint Board (MIJB), didn't flinch from the fact there "will be difficult decisions ahead" – with increasing demand, rising costs, restricted budgets, and staffing issues – as he launched the Strategic Plan 2019-29 along with Pam Dudek, chief officer for Health and Social Care Moray (HSCM), on Thursday, December 19.
Dr Tara French, from the art school's Forres-based Innovation School, joined the health bosses at Elgin Library to unveil the "Moray Partners in Care" document, which refreshes the direction of travel and sharpens priorities after MIJB's three years in existence. Design researchers from the art school have been "reimagining" healthcare in Moray.
MIJB is the public body that directs Moray Council and NHS Grampian to deliver the plan, working together as HSCM.
The health chiefs say it is "time to think differently" and look at "the art of the possible" as well as delivering on day-to-day healthcare. The document outlines the overarching plan that "binds together" the shared vision of Moray Council, NHS Grampian, and the third and independent sectors to help people in Moray "live healthier lives for longer".
Mr Passmore said: "You might ask why we're launching a new plan and why it's so different from what we've had before. The first plan was written without IJBs being in existence – we had best guess at what they looked like and how they would work.
"We've now had three years to learn.
"What we have here is a shared vision, a collective commitment to the way forward and the principles that underpin how we want to go about doing business in the future. That's going to take us to some very difficult places with some of the decisions that we will have to make. We can do this working together across the whole of the partnership – then we have a chance of being successful."
Mrs Dudek said: "This is a very challenging arena to operate in. We're trying to fly the plane at the same time as redesign it. But we all have a vision and a passion to get to the right place for the people of Moray."
She added: "We want this plan to be about people, not process.
"We will have to find a way to address our bottom line but we need to look at what we have to spend – not the gap. How do we use the budget we've got differently?"
Particular healthcare challenges in Moray include access in remote and rural areas, significant mental health problems, a growing number of people aged over 65, and significant drug and alcohol misuse.
The healthcare vision covers three key themes. The first, "building resilience", is a major thrust of the strategy helping people to take care of their own health.
The second theme, "home first" aims to deliver care as close to home as possible. One plan involves putting lead managers in place with responsibility for specific locations who will be expected to get to know a place, its people and available resources to deliver better care.
The third, "partners in care", aims to treat people as partners in their own care rather than as passive recipients.
A suite of supporting documents have been drawn up, including strategies to improve services in mental health, services for unpaid carers, locality, digital and financial plans. These may change shape as time goes on but the overarching vision will stay firm.
A copy of Moray Partners in Care is available by emailing grampian@nhs.net or by phoning 01224 551116 or 01224 552245.
