NHS Forth Valley needs sustained improvement

NHS Forth Valley has responded well since the Scottish Government took formal oversight of the board’s work. But it is critical that the board continues to make progress.

The Scottish Government put in place an assurance board at NHS Forth Valley in November 2022 to drive improvement. The decision was taken after NHS Forth Valley leaders were unable to tackle a range of performance-related issues.

Healthcare Improvement Scotland had repeatedly raised serious concerns about patient safety. The Scottish Government had also noted concerns about a range of NHS Forth Valley’s services, including out of hours care, unscheduled care and mental health.

The board has made progress since agreeing an improvement plan. Its leadership team also remained largely consistent during 2022/23, but the Chief Executive announced her intention to retire in September 2023. An interim Chief Executive has been appointed, who was formerly Chief Nursing Officer for the Scottish Government and Chief Executive of NHS Grampian.

Stephen Boyle, Auditor General for Scotland, said:

The board has responded positively to the escalation framework and has put appropriate governance arrangements in place.

It is critical that sustained progress is made under the new leadership and sufficient resources are in place to drive forward the change needed.