Staff and members of the public attended in person and online to see NHS Lanarkshire’s Annual Review reflect on progress during the last year and highlight future plans.
Spotlighting successes alongside continuing operational and financial challenges, NHS Lanarkshire Chair Katharina Kasper underlined a focus on improved care, partnership and innovation, while recognising areas requiring further action. Katharina celebrated staff achievements including national recognition in maternity, integrated care, pharmacy and support for people with brain injuries.
NHS Lanarkshire Chief Executive Louise Long told the audience at University Hospital Hairmyres there had been significant reductions in very long waits and delayed discharges, alongside expanded alternatives to hospital care. However, Louise recognised emergency and routine planned care performance remains challenging. She said cancer care performance was strong, while Hospital at Home, virtual monitoring and the Flow Navigation Centre Plus helped direct care into community settings. Financial targets were met and staff numbers increased, although sickness absence remained high.
NHS Lanarkshire is improving patient flow and access through a 100-day recovery plan, targeting the whole hospital journey, Acute Director Arwel Williams explained. Priorities include alternatives to emergency care, faster assessment, earlier discharge and greater community support. Work to reduce long waits continues alongside quality improvements, external scrutiny and strengthened care assurance.
Trudi Marshall, Executive Nurse Director, highlighted the greater use of patients’ and service users’ lived experience in decision-making. Since July 2025, videos shown at Board meetings have let members hear directly about maternity care, discharge, waiting lists, urgent care and health improvement.
Ben Hannan, Director of Service Transformation, Planning & Performance, spoke about healthcare strategy Our Health Together. It focuses on better health, better care, a better workplace and better value, while acknowledging continuing challenges including long waits, inequality, sustainability and consistency of services.
Area Clinical Forum Chair Claire James said the group had strengthened frontline clinical influence through scrutiny of risk, performance, workforce, digital developments and major strategic programmes. Its next priorities include demonstrating the impact of clinical advice and engaging clinicians earlier. Speaking about the Area Partnership Forum (APF), Sylvia Stewart, Employee Director and APF Joint Chair, said it had expanded staff-side involvement, including workforce change, culture, inclusion, service redesign and policies. Practical outcomes included the Reasonable Adjustment Passport, anti-racism work and preparations for the 36-hour working week.
Professor Soumen Sengupta, Chief Officer, South Lanarkshire University Health & Social Care Partnership, announced plans to strengthen community healthcare in Lanark. Other primary care developments include the Lanarkshire-wide Bloods and Go service and increased digital access to GP practices.
Claire Rae, Chief Officer, University Health & Social Care North Lanarkshire, said mental health access improved, including strong CAMHS performance and reduced psychiatry backlogs. Medication Assisted Treatment continued to develop, with remaining challenges around links to primary care and mental health support. Community frailty work focused on identifying risk earlier, anticipatory care, coordinated support, rehabilitation and helping people remain at home.
The final section highlighted the ambition to become a Population Health Organisation, shifting emphasis towards prevention, reducing inequalities and partnership work. Professor S Josephine Pravinkumar, Director of Public Health & Health Policy, said progress included investment in prevention, improving breastfeeding and child oral health outcomes, and development against six maturity principles.
After the review closed with a commitment to prioritise access, prevention, workforce, patient flow, financial sustainability and partnership working, there were questions from the audience about the use of the postal system for patient appointments, GP services and the reduction in the number of health boards under public sector reform plans.
Before the public session the chief executive and Chair met with patient and carers to hear directly about their experiences of NHS services. It was a valuable opportunity to listen and identify potential improvements to how we deliver care.
Attendees also had the chance to browse information stalls presenting the work of the acute services improvement team, community respiratory colleagues, and the Monklands Replacement Project.
