An important new Partnership has been launched to drive forward ambitious changes that will improve the way local health and social care services are designed and developed.

The Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership, which was officially established on 1 April 2016, will improve the quality and consistency of care delivered to local patients, service users and their families. The Partnership will ensure local health and social care services are more seamless and joined-up to help people stay in their own homes, wherever possible. It will also help ensure that resources are used effectively to deliver services that meet the needs of local communities and the growing population of people with longer-term and more complex health and care needs, many of whom are older.

Patricia Cassidy, Chief Officer for the Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership, said: "This is an important development which will see Falkirk Council and NHS Forth Valley  working together with local communities, independent and voluntary organisations to ensure local services are more joined-up and better co-ordinated.

“The council and the health board are already working together in a number of ways and this new Partnership will help us to build on these joint initiatives and take forward ambitious plans for further improvements.

“Service users, carers and their families are at the heart of this new way of working and should result in better experiences and outcomes for all.”

Detailed planning and preparation for the new integrated arrangements has taken place over the last year. A new Integration Joint Board, which brings together senior staff from the two partner organisations along with carer, service user and third sector representatives, has also been established to oversee the work of the Partnership and ensure it delivers a number of key local and national outcomes.

Councillor Allyson Black, Chair of the Integration Joint Board for the Partnership, said:  “In recent months we have been working with our staff and stakeholders to gather feedback on what’s important to them and how they would like to see local health and social care services across Falkirk developed and delivered in the future.

“This has helped us to develop a Strategic Plan which sets out our key priorities and outcomes for the new Partnership over the next three years. We will continue to involve staff, communities and partners every step of the way.

“I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to share their views as this has been invaluable in helping to shape our future plans and priorities.”

The Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership is one of 31 new Partnerships set up across Scotland and the new integrated arrangements represent the biggest reform to the way health and social care is delivered in Scotland since the creation of the NHS.

Copies of the Strategic Plan and further information on the membership of the Falkirk Integration Joint Board can be found on the Forth Valley integration website