North Lanarkshire residents are being asked to share their views on how the integration of the area’s health and social care services will be managed.

NHS Lanarkshire (NHSL) and North Lanarkshire Council (NLC) are required to integrate planning for, and delivery of, certain adult health and social care services.

They can also choose to integrate planning and delivery of other services – additional health and social care services beyond the minimum prescribed by Ministers.

As a result, they are required to review services and produce an updated Integration Scheme setting out how this joint working is to be achieved.

This is delegated to the North Lanarkshire Integration Joint Board (IJB) which reflects a partnership approach between the council and the health board. Health & Social Care North Lanarkshire then delivers services to residents on behalf of the IJB.

This review of the scheme which has been in place since 2016 has taken place and has received NHSL Board and NLC committee approval for public engagement to begin. People and groups across North Lanarkshire are now being urged to give feedback on the Integration Scheme over the next four weeks before final approval and submission to the Cabinet Secretary.

Dr Avril Osborne, chair of North Lanarkshire IJB, said: “We carry out regular engagement with the people of North Lanarkshire and I’m always very encouraged by the level of feedback we receive regarding shaping health and social care services for our area.

“We’re dedicated to ensuring we deliver services that make a positive impact on peoples’ lives and the best way to do that is by mapping out how we manage integration in North Lanarkshire.

“It’s important that people tell us what they think of the updated Integration Scheme and its role in helping us to continue delivering the results they, and we, want.

“Ultimately, this work is being carried out for the benefit of everyone in North Lanarkshire so we really want to hear as many views as possible.”

The draft Integration Scheme can be accessed at https://www.nhslanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk/download/NL-integration-scheme/ with responses being taken until Sunday, 28 February. Responses are completely confidential and unidentifiable with the information being retained for six months only.