A Vision

ofHealth

NHSScotland’s agenda for realising valuein the developing healthcare estate

A Vision

of Health

NHSS

cotland’

s ag

enda for realising valuein the devel

oping heal

thcar

e es

ate

The Better Health, Better Care Action Plan, published in 2007

, affirmed the ScottishGovernment’s commitment to improving the physical and mental wellbeing of the peopleof Scotland through supporting the provision of well designed, sustainable places. TheAction Plan also articulated the Scottish Government’s vision of a mutual National HealthService, a shift to a new ethos for health in Scotland that sees the Scottish people and thestaff of the NHS as partners, or co-owners, in the NHS.These policy changes place health and wellbeing and the over-arching issue of sustainabilityat the centre of the lives of the people of Scotland as the NHS strives to become moreaccountable and patient-focused. If we are to deliver on our commitment to create ahealthier, wealthier, fairer, safer and stronger Scotland we must ensure that in the contextof designing new facilities, NHS Boards deliver not only high quality solutions but alsorealise benefits for community development and the wider environment.However, the necessary changes to our existing healthcare estate to articulate ourcommitments cannot be achieved by policy revision alone. They need people with visionto make them happen. Such people should not necessarily be limited to the variousprofessionals tasked with the procurement, design and delivery of our new healthcareprojects: all of us have part to play in influencing our healthcare environment as partof a mutual NHS.

Foreword

In this publication we celebrate the vision of some of Scotland’s healthcare leadersincluding the Chief Medical Officer and healthcare Design Champions and set out thepractical measures being put in place to assist Scotland’s NHS Boards in guiding theirprojects to successful outcomes.Throughout, we feature some current and future-planned projects within NHSScotlandwhich look to provide the quality of environments to which we aspire.As the Scottish Government’s Purpose and National Performance Framework take evergreater effect in the day-to-day focus for our public services and on improving theoutcomes and quality of life for all of Scotland’s people, it is important that the principlesof visionary leadership of those who contributed to this publication are embraced by NHSBoards in Scotland and all others involved in the delivery of our healthcare infrastructure.

Foreword

Nicola Sturgeon MSP