NHS Grampian is outlining its priorities and improvement plan as the results of an external review of the organisation are published.

The Scottish Government commissioned the review to coincide with escalation to Level 4 of the NHS Scotland Support and Intervention Framework in May 2025.

The review focused on three areas:

  1. A review of the leadership and governance arrangements in place at NHS Grampian
  2. Further analysis on the main causes of our deteriorating financial position
  3. Identifying opportunities for cost savings and optimising current services

Laura Skaife-Knight, our chief executive, said: “We welcome this independent assessment and the ongoing support we are receiving from the Scottish Government and wider Health Boards, all of which are informing and further strengthening our improvement plans, which we are focused on delivering.”

In response to the review, NHS Grampian will focus resources and energy on the following three areas:

  1. A further reduction in waiting times for planned care. This is consistent with the national requirement, that no patient is waiting longer than 52-weeks by the end of March 2026
  2. Urgent and emergency (unscheduled care) - reducing ambulance turnaround times, improving access to urgent and emergency care at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and reducing the number of people in hospital who do not need acute care (delayed transfers of care)
  3. Reducing costs, by improving efficiency and clinical productivity, and fully utilising procurement potential.

Laura added: “We are confident our financial and savings plans will be achieved this year. All savings schemes will continue to be carefully considered to ensure patient experience, clinical care and staff wellbeing is maintained or improved. We are grateful to the Scottish Government for the additional funding provided to NHS Grampian to further improve access to our urgent and emergency services and reduce waiting times for operations and appointments (planned care) for the populations we serve. We also continue to benefit significantly from the learning and support we are receiving from other Health Boards.

“We are committed to working collaboratively with our local, regional and national partners, and to working as a whole system so that ideas for improvement are designed and developed together for the benefit of the local communities we serve, and to openness and transparency as an organisation, all of which are critical to taking our organisation forward.”

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