Major service change reports
The guidance followed in publishing this report has since been superseded by the Planning with People guidance
NHS Tayside's consultation on proposals for Shaping Orthopaedic Services
This report sets out our assessment of whether NHS Tayside's engagement and consultation on proposals to reconfigure planned and unplanned orthopaedic trauma surgery carried out in Tayside followed Scottish Government guidance, which requires that NHS boards seek, listen to and act on the views of potentially affected people and communities when proposing changes to services.
Based on the evidence outlined in this report, our view is that NHS Tayside has followed the national guidance set out by the Scottish Government.
Through our quality assurance process we found that the majority of people who took part, and responded to our survey, understood NHS Tayside's reasons for change to orthopaedic services. However, they also felt that there needs to be more consideration of the potential impact of the proposals on travel for service users, families and visitors.
We noted in the responses to NHS Tayside's general and waiting list surveys that the majority of respondents support the model.
Recommendations
We recommend that, as part of its decision-making process on the proposed model NHS Tayside Board should:
- Provide indicative timescales for when the proposed model will be implemented and provide reassurances as to how any staff recruitment issues that may affect this will be addressed.
- Consider how best to involve service users, carers, staff and third sector representatives in reviewing the issues raised during the consultation and co-design solutions with members of the NHS Tayside Transport and Access group.
If the proposals are approved then we recommend that the following areas are considered:
- Review and revise the information provided to patients ahead of surgery with service users and the public, to ensure it is clear what support is available in relation to transport, parking and expenses.
- Undertake a review of the patient booking system for surgical procedure appointments to address concerns about early morning appointments for people living in rural areas of Tayside.
- Provide regular communication on the outcomes of this further work and keep people informed of progress and timescales for the implementation of the proposals.
- Seek ongoing feedback from service users and the public about transport and the patient booking system, and involve them in any evaluation of the new model.