NHS Orkney has published its clinical strategy 2022-2027, with a focus to support its clinical teams and services as they develop and grow to meet the needs of the people of Orkney over a five-year period.
The strategy set out its aims regarding patients, with a focus on it’s older patients who live with long-term conditions and frailty. It has committed to enabling patients to live independently and healthy throughout their lives and highlights the role of early intervention and prevention in achieving this goal.
The main areas of interest set out in the strategy include:
- Improving the health and well-being of the people in Orkney
- Children and young people
- Mental health
- Supporting independence for patients living with long-term conditions
The strategy was written on behalf of the people of Orkney, as the medical director of NHS Orkney Dr Mark Henry explained, “this is a document for the people of Orkney, contributed to by the people of Orkney.”
The strategy has been developed using feedback submitted from a community survey conducted in October 2021. It outlined the approach it will take, saying it will be “driven by evidence, best practice, safety, and transparency”.
Data from the survey found that 33% wanted faster access to mental health services and that 17% responded wanted easier access to care that was more tailored to individual needs. The full community survey report can be found here.
It also surveyed staff asking them to highlight which innovations they would like to bring attention to. The broad areas they highlighted were:
- Staff and small clinical teams, with the need to be generalists and specialists
- Isolation, with 69% of the Orkney population living in remote areas
- Relationships with NHS Grampian and Shetland
Speaking further, Dr Henry explained how the strategy will benefit Orkney saying “We have some ambitious aims in this document but with our dedicated teams and supportive community, we will ensure we make a real difference to the health of our local population throughout their whole lives.”
The full strategy can be found here.
