A problem shared

Instead of wading in with a "solution" our journey started by sharing a problem with the public.Two community hospitals 30 miles apart in a remote & rural part of Scotland are not designed to meet modern standards, are not strategically located and some community services adequately resourced.Sharing details around this issue with the public and staff resulted in a suggestion from a local public meeting that we shoud consider building a new unit in a more strategically better "middle" of the locality to replace the old ones.This wasa solution we had had wondered about but which we knew would not be owned unless it was co-produced.This started a three year process of engagement overseen by a steering group made up of communiuty representatives, local groups, councillors, partner agencies, managers and clinicians.A formal three month public consultation followed, looking at what should be the preferred model of service delivery for the area.It is now proposed that community and social care services be expanded, staff co-located, a new hospital and community resource centre built and two community hospitals closed.The new model will be financially more efficient, strategically better and local services will be be retained or improved.Now the model is agreed the strong community engagment provides an ideal plaform to design and deliver the services

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