In the previous issue of our Partnership Matters Briefing, we had an update on the review of our current Strategic Plan and the development of our next one starting in 2023. We also encouraged people to share their views on the draft Strategic Plan, which had its consultation launched at the end of July. A lot of engagement work was done with a range of organisations, networks and groups that represent and deliver services to people across our city to develop the draft plan, and that engagement has continued throughout its consultation.

If the next Strategic Plan is going to properly reflect the views and priorities of people within our city, then it’s important that people take the chance to give us their feedback. If you haven’t yet, I’d like to encourage you to share your views on it and be a part of the conversation on health and social care in Glasgow. There’s still time as the consultation is open until this Friday, 14 October. Read more about the Strategic Plan consultation and access the consultation survey here.

In the September/October issue of Partnership Matters Briefing, we continue to feature work where the health and social care needs of those who we support are at the very centre of what we do, with the aim of helping people to get the right care and support, in the right place and at the right time. We kick off this issue with news stories on:

• our Mental Health Assessment Units (MHAUs) at Leverndale and Stobhill hospitals, which were set up at the end of March 2020 with partners to provide more responsive support to people having a mental health crisis and reduce the numbers of people presenting to Emergency Departments with mental health issues. In the article you can read more and also watch a short video about the MHAUs and the Compassionate Distress Response Service
• our Glasgow Child Interview Team, which is a new approach to how we interview child victims and witnesses that’s been developed and being rolled out across Scotland. The team aims to improve the experience of children who are interviewed and will use the new model in cases that are likely to proceed in the High Court; involve sexual abuse, serious physical assault or sexual exploitation; or when children have additional needs or communication needs and
• work we did during Suicide Prevention Week last month through our Glasgow City Suicide Prevention Partnership to raise awareness on suicide and on our city’s prevention efforts. The annual ‘Candlelight Celebration of Life’ also took place during the week and served as a way to honour loved ones lost to suicide. 

This website is one of the main ways in which we keep people up to date with what’s happening across our Partnership, and our Integration Joint Board’s (IJB’s) sixth Annual Performance Report (APR) that was approved at its June meeting is now available on it. The APR looks back at the last financial year (2021 – 22) and reviews our HSCP’s performance against local and national performance indicators and the delivery of commitments within our IJB’s Strategic Plan. We also reflect on the continued impact of COVID-19 and how our services innovatively adapted, ensuring we continued to meet the needs of our most vulnerable and at-risk patients and service users.

We also include in this issue web links to more news articles that have been published on our website since our last issue, as well as links to upcoming meetings and events.

Although we’re not in the same position as we were earlier this year with the COVID-19 pandemic, you’ll have seen recently in the news that there’s been a rise in people testing positive for the virus and Scotland has the highest rate in the UK. As I’ve said a number of times, the vaccines, treatments, protection measures and all of our individual and collective efforts have been our greatest defence in managing the virus. I’d encourage you to continue to keep yourself and others safe by using ‘COVID sense’. Also, if you’re eligible, and when you’re invited, you can get your seasonal flu and COVID-19 vaccinations that are currently being administered.

That’s us now well into autumn time, and summer seems to be far behind us. I hope that our staff and partners who have been supporting our patients, service users, carers and colleagues throughout the COVID-19 pandemic managed to enjoy a break, and, as ever, our HSCP’s Senior Management Team remains grateful for continued support, commitment and resilience. Thank you.

Susanne