Healthcare Improvement Scotland

Healthcare Improvement Scotland The purpose of Healthcare Improvement Scotland is to enable the people of Scotland to experience the

We believe that every person in Scotland should receive the best care possible every time We have five key priorities. These are areas where we believe we can make the most impact and where we focus our efforts and resources.

1. Enabling people to make informed decisions about their care and treatment.
2. Helping health and social care organisations to redesign and continuously improve services.
3. Provide evidence and share knowledge that enables people to get the best out of the services they use and helps services improve.
4. Provide quality assurance that gives people confidence in the services and supports providers to improve.
5. Making the best use of resources, we aim to ensure every pound invested in our work adds value to the care people receive.

Join us for the Q Scotland Annual Online Collaboration EventTuesday 3 March 2026, 1:30pm–4pm, MS TeamsWe’re bringing tog...
27/02/2026

Join us for the Q Scotland Annual Online Collaboration Event

Tuesday 3 March 2026, 1:30pm–4pm, MS Teams

We’re bringing together innovators, improvers, and system leaders from across Scotland’s health and care system to explore this year’s theme: Enabling Change — learning from what works and strengthening relationships that support high‑quality care.

What to expect:

• Practical improvement projects and alternative change methodologies
• Insights into key enablers of successful change
• Opportunities to build cross‑sector relationships
• Space to shape future priorities for the Q Scotland community

Featured sessions include:

• Scottish Approach to Change — Callum Alexander & Chamithri Greru (HIS)
• Patient Eco‑system Mapping — Jonathan O’Reilly (NHS Golden Jubilee ) & Tom Inns (CoFink)
• Active Visiting: Falls Prevention in Care Settings — June McGill (Care Inspectorate ) & Matt Gallagher (Clackmannanshire & Stirling HSCP)
• Mid Argyll, Kintyre and the Islands Network — Hilda Campbell (COPE Scotland)
• DR HOPE: Reducing Drug‑Related Harm by Proactive Outreach — Michelle Beattie (UHI)
• Q Community Move to NHS Confederation — Matt Hill (Q UK)

This event is open to non‑Q members — please share widely with colleagues who may be interested.

The session will be recorded and available afterwards on our events page.

Register now, link in comments.

Our organisation has today warned the public of the dangers of so-called cosmetic tourism. The warning comes as a growin...
27/02/2026

Our organisation has today warned the public of the dangers of so-called cosmetic tourism. The warning comes as a growing number of events are being held across the country aimed at getting people to sign up for cosmetic and surgical treatments abroad.

Follow the link in the comments to find out more.

We're interested in your views on the draft SIGN guideline on the management of chronic pain.Feedback should be submitte...
27/02/2026

We're interested in your views on the draft SIGN guideline on the management of chronic pain.

Feedback should be submitted by 12 noon on Wednesday 11th March 2026.

Links to the comments form and the draft guideline are in the comments.

We’ve published a joint inspection report for a child and adolescent mental health unit in Scotland (CAMHS). The report ...
26/02/2026

We’ve published a joint inspection report for a child and adolescent mental health unit in Scotland (CAMHS). The report for Dudhope Young People’s Inpatient Unit was produced in conjunction with the Mental Welfare Commission.

The link to the report is in the comments.

You're invited to observe our Board meeting.Would you like to see how our Board makes decisions that shape our work? If ...
25/02/2026

You're invited to observe our Board meeting.

Would you like to see how our Board makes decisions that shape our work? If so, come along to our next Board meeting.

🗓 Wednesday 25 March 2026
🕥 10:30am
📍 Delta House or join us online via MS Teams

Board meeting papers will be available on our website in advance.

If you’d like to observe the meeting and gain insight into our Board’s discussions and decision making, email his.boardadmin@nhs.scot to register your interest.

We look forward to welcoming you.

We’ve developed clinical governance standards that will provide assurance that organisations are delivering high quality...
24/02/2026

We’ve developed clinical governance standards that will provide assurance that organisations are delivering high quality and safe healthcare in line with best practice, national policy and legislation.

Clinical governance is an integral and essential part of the NHS governance framework. It can help NHS Scotland to meet its statutory duty to ensure and improve the quality of care that it delivers.

The standards apply to all clinical services planned, commissioned or delivered within the health and social care system in Scotland.

To find out more, follow the link in the comments.

We are holding a webinar exploring what recovery can achieve - and why it matters - in the Drug and Alcohol Mission in S...
20/02/2026

We are holding a webinar exploring what recovery can achieve - and why it matters - in the Drug and Alcohol Mission in Scotland.

Link in comments.

We’ve published a joint inspection report for a child and adolescent mental health unit in Scotland (CAMHS). The report ...
19/02/2026

We’ve published a joint inspection report for a child and adolescent mental health unit in Scotland (CAMHS). The report for Skye House was produced in conjunction with the Mental Welfare Commission.

The link to the report is in the comments.

The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) Committee considers a range of factors when deciding whether to accept a new med...
18/02/2026

The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) Committee considers a range of factors when deciding whether to accept a new medicine under review.

Patient representatives are an important part of the decision-making process.

In this video, SMC Chair, Scott Muir, and Spinal Muscular Atrophy UK CEO, Giles Lomax, explain the importance of understanding the experiences of patients, their families and carers when assessing a new medicine.

To watch the video and find out more, follow the link in the comments.

We’ve published standards for the national diabetic eye screening programme which aims to reduce the incidence of vision...
17/02/2026

We’ve published standards for the national diabetic eye screening programme which aims to reduce the incidence of vision loss through diabetes.

Diabetic eye screening checks for a condition known as diabetic retinopathy which is the leading cause of visual impairment or blindness.

The condition has no symptoms in the early stages, so screening is important to identify and treat it early.

Screening is offered to eligible people aged 12 years or over who have diabetes.

To read the standards, follow the link in the comments.

Applications for the Focus on Frailty improvement programme 2026 - 2027 are open now. The programme is open to teams fro...
16/02/2026

Applications for the Focus on Frailty improvement programme 2026 - 2027 are open now.

The programme is open to teams from:
• NHS boards
• health and social care partnerships
• general practice

This national improvement programme aims to improve access to and experience of person-led, coordinated health and social care for older people living with frailty.

The programme aims to help participating teams improve:
• proactive community services to support people to live well in the community and avoid hospital admission.
• acute hospital frailty services.
• integration and pathways between community and hospital to enable people to spend more time at home or homely setting.

Apply by 5pm on Friday 13 March 2026 using the link in the comments.

We recently launched our Scottish Approach to Change Learning Community. Our community aims to support change across hea...
13/02/2026

We recently launched our Scottish Approach to Change Learning Community. Our community aims to support change across health and social care in Scotland. We plan to help members build knowledge, understanding, and confidence when delivering change.

Head to our website to get involved. The link is in the comments.

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1 South Gyle Crescent
Edinburgh
EH129EB

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Healthcare Improvement Scotland

We are Healthcare Improvement Scotland, an organisation with many parts and one purpose - better quality health and social care for everyone in Scotland.

We have five key priorities.

These are areas where we believe we can make the most impact and where we focus our efforts and resources.


  • Enabling people to make informed decisions about their care and treatment.