Along with others, we have been working for some time with the Scottish Government to find new ways to deliver services, otherwise increasing demand will not be met and patient care will suffer. Enabling people to visit the hospital less and potentially manage their own conditions more effectively is surely to be welcomed – who wants to go on regular trips to hospital if they can manage their condition or recover from an illness at home? Giving appropriately skilled clinicians the tools and resources to enable this is not just about saving money – it’s about improving care too.
The Audit Scotland report last week warned that progress has been slow in reshaping care for older people and more needs to be done to target resources on preventing or delaying ill health and on supporting people to stay at home. Nurses are key to making this happen and are fully committed to meeting these challenges.
Theresa Fyffe, RCN Scotland director