Edward Mountain MSP has welcomed NHS Highland’s proposals to enhance home care provision by first setting up a pilot scheme in Nairn which, if successful, could be rolled out across North Highland.
This development follows Edward Mountain MSP’s lobbying through his Time to Talk campaign, which launched last year.
The campaign aims to combat loneliness of those receiving personal care-at-home, change how NHS Highland commissions care-at-home packages and extend care beyond purely physical needs to include wellbeing.
At its launch, the Time to Talk campaign won the support of two of the region’s largest care providers, Highland Home Carers Ltd and Home Care Scotland.
In a letter to the Chief Executive of NHS Highland, sent in December, Edward Mountain MSP wrote:
“I was therefore pleased to read your comments, published in the Press & Journal on 23 November 2020, that “NHS Highland has been actively looking at ways to allow us to move from function-based personal care provision, based on the time we require to undertake care tasks, to a more outcomes-based approach which is flexible to changing needs.”
“It is vital that enhancing care at home provision within NHS Highland is regarded as a priority. I would therefore be very grateful if you could confirm what actions are being taken to progress NHS Highland’s transition from a ‘function-based’ to a ‘more outcomes-based approach’? I would also be very appreciative if you could set out what further steps need to take place to complete this transition and if NHS Highland has a timetable for delivery?”
Pam Dudek, Chief Executive of NHS Highland, has since provided the following update:
“NHS Highland has been actively exploring the opportunity to change the way that we commission care at home provision. This has been welcomed by providers.
“Currently providers are commissioned on the needs of the individual being supported. An alternative approach under consideration is to move to a commitment to commission a volume of capacity from each provider. This would form the basis for achieving flexible, reactive, sustainable and affordable capacity whilst giving the provider the confidence to invest in developing capacity.
“Taking this approach, each provider would hold a set number of individuals which will give the provider the ability to clearly see and plan the deployment of their capacity. It would also give the provider security in terms of financial remuneration to assist with building capacity. The commitment for each individual would be focussed on their outcomes rather than time and task-based hours delivered. This will allow the providers the opportunity to operate in a much more flexible manner.
“In order to test the effectiveness of these proposed arrangements there will shortly be a test of change taking place in the Nairn area. If successful, our intention is that this model will be rolled out across North Highland.”
Edward Mountain MSP commented:
“I am delighted that NHS Highland are now moving ahead with plans to enhance home care provision.
The Nairn pilot is huge step forward towards a more personable and person-centred model of care.
This should hopefully help carers to have more time to talk with those they look after, therefore reducing their isolation and loneliness which has been exacerbated by the pandemic.
Home care providers want to see this change happen and I look forward to receiving further details on the rollout of the pilot in Nairn.”
