Our Health Together 2026–2029 Refresh
Helping shape the next stage of Our Health Together
Introduction
We’re refreshing the strategy to make sure it reflects where we are today. The long-term vision hasn’t changed. We remain committed to helping people live healthier, longer lives by improving health and wellbeing, reducing inequalities and providing high-quality, person-centred care.
The refresh builds on the extensive engagement that helped shape the original strategy in 2023. It updates the strategy to reflect the progress we’ve made, the challenges we continue to face, changes in national policy and how we will put the strategy into practice over the next three years.
It is organised around four clearer outcomes to help connect the strategy with delivery:
- Better Health
- Better Care
- Better Workplace
- Better Value
Alongside the refreshed strategy, we’ve published a You Said, We Did summary explaining what people told us during the original engagement, what has changed, how progress is being experienced and what still needs attention.
Before the refreshed strategy is considered by the NHS Lanarkshire Board, we’re inviting patients, communities, staff and partners to take part in a four-week check-in.
We’re asking:
- Is the refreshed strategy clear?
- Is anything important missing or in need of greater emphasis?
- As we put the strategy into practice, what should NHS Lanarkshire focus on most, including prevention?
This check-in is the start of a continuing conversation. The strategy sets the overall direction, but improving health and care doesn’t stop with the publication of a strategy. We are committed to ongoing dialogue with patients, communities, staff and partners as implementation plans develop, listening to what matters, reflecting on what we hear, explaining how feedback has shaped our thinking and working together to help shape the future of health and care in Lanarkshire.
On this page you’ll find:
- The refreshed Our Health Together strategy
- A You Said, We Did summary
- Frequently asked questions
- Information about the four outcomes
- How to share your views
- What happens next
What happens next?
The four-week check-in closes on 6 September 2026.
We’ll carefully review all the feedback alongside the refreshed Our Health Together strategy. Where appropriate, we’ll make changes to improve the document before it is considered by the NHS Lanarkshire Board on 30 September 2026.
Following Board consideration, we’ll publish:
- The final refreshed Our Health Together strategy;
- A summary of what we heard during the check-in;
- Any changes made as a result of the feedback;
- What still needs attention; and
- How the strategy will move into delivery and implementation.
The conversation doesn’t end here
This check-in is an important milestone, but it isn’t the end of the conversation.
Our Health Together sets the long-term direction for improving health and care across Lanarkshire. As delivery and implementation plans are developed, there will be further opportunities for patients, communities, staff and partners to help shape how those ambitions are put into practice.
We’re committed to making engagement part of how we work every day, not something that only happens when we’re developing a strategy or consulting on a proposal.
That means continuing to:
- Listen to what matters most to people;
- Work with patients, communities, staff and partners as plans develop;
- Explain how feedback has influenced decisions; and
- Involve people throughout implementation and improvement.
Our aim is to build an ongoing dialogue so that people can see how their views are helping to shape the future of health and care in Lanarkshire.
Questions and Answers
Working together
Health and care work best when they are shaped with the people who use, deliver and support services.
Our Health Together is NHS Lanarkshire’s long-term strategy for improving health and care across Lanarkshire. It was developed through extensive engagement with patients, carers, staff, communities and partners during 2023 before being approved and published in 2024.
Those conversations helped shape our long-term vision and continue to influence how we work today.
Since then, we’ve made progress in some areas, while new challenges and national priorities have emerged. Rather than creating a new strategy, we’ve refreshed the existing one to reflect where we are today and strengthen the connection between our long-term ambitions and how they will be delivered.
From 10 August, we’re inviting patients, communities, staff and partners to take part in a four-week check-in before the refreshed strategy is considered by the NHS Lanarkshire Board.
We want to know:
- Is the direction clear?
- Is anything important missing or in need of greater emphasis?
- As we put the strategy into practice, what should NHS Lanarkshire focus on most?
This check-in builds on the conversations that shaped the original strategy. It also reflects our commitment to ongoing dialogue. As the strategy moves into delivery, we’ll continue to listen, learn, act and feed back so people can see how their views are helping to shape health and care in Lanarkshire.
Q&A: Section 1: About the Strategy Refresh
This section answers: What is this and why are you doing it?
What is Our Health Together?
Our Health Together is NHS Lanarkshire’s long-term strategy for improving health and care across Lanarkshire.
It sets the overall direction for how we will improve health, reduce inequalities and provide safe, high-quality, person-centred care over the coming years.
The strategy brings together our ambitions, priorities and long-term vision while helping guide future planning, investment and improvement across our services.
Why are we refreshing Our Health Together?
We’re refreshing the strategy because we’ve made progress since it was published, new challenges have emerged and national policy has changed.
The refresh makes sure the strategy remains current while keeping the same long-term direction. It also strengthens the connection between the strategy and how it will be delivered over the next three years.
Is this a new strategy?
No.
This is a refresh of the existing strategy rather than a new one.
The long-term vision remains the same. The refresh updates the context, reflects progress, recognises the challenges that remain and strengthens the connection between the strategy and practical delivery.
How does this fit with the original Our Health Together strategy?
The refreshed strategy replaces the version published in 2024.
It builds on the same long-term vision while updating the strategy to reflect progress, current challenges and national priorities.
It should be read as the next stage of Our Health Together, rather than a separate strategy.
What has stayed the same?
The long-term ambition remains the same.
The strategy continues to focus on helping people live healthier, longer lives by improving health, reducing inequalities and providing safe, high-quality, person-centred care.
The priorities people told us mattered during the original engagement remain central to the refreshed strategy.
What has changed?
The refresh:
- Updates the strategy to reflect today’s challenges and opportunities;
- Reports on progress since publication;
- Strengthens the connection between the strategy and practical delivery.
- Crucially, it is built around four clearer outcomes:
- Better Health
- Better Care
- Better Workplace
- Better Value
Q&A: Section 2: Taking part
This section answers: Practical questions on the strategy and how to get involved
Why are you asking for feedback if the strategy is nearly complete?
The strategy has already been shaped through extensive engagement with patients, carers, staff, communities and partners.
Before it is considered by the NHS Lanarkshire Board, we want to check that the refreshed version is clear, reflects what matters most and hasn’t missed anything important.
Your feedback will help us identify anything that needs to be clarified, strengthened or given greater emphasis before approval.
Is this another public consultation?
No.
This is a focused four-week check-in rather than a new consultation.
It builds on the conversations that helped shape the original strategy.
The refresh keeps the same long-term direction while checking that the strategy remains relevant, understandable and focused on the right priorities
What are you asking people to comment on?
We’re asking people to consider three things.
- How clear is the refreshed strategy and its four outcomes?
- Is anything important unclear, missing or in need of greater emphasis?
- As we put the strategy into practice, what is the one thing NHS Lanarkshire should pay most attention to?
These questions will help us improve the final document and inform the next stage of delivery.
When and how can I share my views?
The four-week check-in runs from 10 August to 6 September 2026.
During this time, you can:
- Read the refreshed strategy;
- Read the supporting You Said, We Did summary;
- Complete the feedback form; and
- Use alternative or assisted ways to respond if you need them.
How will my feedback be used?
Every response will be reviewed.
We’ll consider whether your feedback identifies:
- Something that needs to be clearer;
- An important issue that has been overlooked;
- An area that needs greater emphasis; or
- A point that should help shape future implementation.
Following the check-in, we’ll publish a summary explaining:
- What we heard;
- What changed;
- What still needs attention; and
- How people will continue to be involved as the strategy moves into delivery.
Q&A: Section 3: Looking ahead
This section answers: Questions about next steps and our overall engagement philosophy
How is NHS Lanarkshire's approach to engagement changing?
We want engagement to become part of how we work every day, not something that only happens when we’re developing a strategy or consulting on a proposal.
Through Our Health Together, we’re building a more continuous conversation with patients, communities, staff and partners.
That means listening to people more regularly, working with communities to understand what matters most, explaining how feedback has been used and involving people as services and plans develop.
This four-week check-in is part of that approach. It gives people the opportunity to review the refreshed strategy before it is considered by the NHS Lanarkshire Board. As the strategy moves into delivery, there will be further opportunities to help shape how it is put into practice.
Our aim is to keep listening, learning and working together so that engagement becomes an ongoing part of how we improve health and care, rather than something that happens at the beginning or end of a project
How is this different from the engagement that took place in 2023?
The original engagement helped create Our Health Together.
This four-week check-in builds on that work.
Rather than asking people to help develop a new strategy, we’re asking you to review the refreshed version before it is considered by the NHS Lanarkshire Board and tell us whether anything important is unclear, missing or needs greater emphasis.
As the strategy moves into delivery, there will be further opportunities for patients, communities, staff and partners to help shape how it is implemented.
Can I still influence what happens?
Yes.
This check-in is one opportunity to share your views before the refreshed strategy is considered by the NHS Lanarkshire Board.
It is also the beginning of the next phase of engagement.
The strategy sets the overall direction. As delivery and implementation plans are developed, there will be further opportunities for patients, communities, staff and partners to help shape how it is put into practice.
We are committed to continuing to listen, reflect on what we hear, explain how feedback has been used and involve people throughout implementation.
Does the refreshed strategy say everything that will happen?
No.
The strategy sets the overall direction.
Detailed service planning, implementation and improvement work will continue over the coming years.
Those plans will involve further engagement and, where appropriate, co-design with patients, communities, staff and partners.
What happens after the check-in closes?
We’ll review all the feedback alongside the refreshed strategy.
Where appropriate, changes will be made before the strategy is considered by the NHS Lanarkshire Board on 30 September 2026.
Following Board consideration, we’ll publish:
- The refreshed strategy;
- A summary of what we heard;
- Any changes made as a result of the check-in;
- What still needs attention; and
- How patients, communities, staff and partners will continue to help shape delivery as implementation moves forward.
As implementation moves forward, patients, communities, staff and partners will continue to help shape how the strategy is put into practice.
Before the refreshed Our Health Together strategy is considered by the NHS Lanarkshire Board, we’re inviting patients, communities, staff and partners to take part in a four-week check-in.
This is an opportunity to tell us whether the refreshed strategy is clear, whether anything important is missing or needs greater emphasis, and what should matter most as we put it into practice.
The check-in runs from 10 August to 6 September 2026.
About the questionnaire
The questionnaire should take around 10–15 minutes to complete.
You’ll be asked to:
- Rate how clear you think the refreshed strategy and its four outcomes are.
- Answer two short questions, with up to 500 words for each response.
Question 1
Having reviewed the refreshed Our Health Together strategy, is there anything important that is unclear, missing or needs greater emphasis?
We’re interested in understanding whether the strategy is clear and whether there are any important issues that should be clarified, strengthened or given greater emphasis before it is considered by the NHS Lanarkshire Board.
Question 2
As we put the refreshed strategy into practice, what is the one thing NHS Lanarkshire should pay most attention to?
We’re interested in the one issue you believe should be the greatest priority as the strategy moves into delivery. This might include prevention, healthy weight, population health, improving services or any other area you think should receive particular attention.
Need help responding?
We want as many people as possible to take part.
If you need information in an alternative format, require support to complete the questionnaire or would prefer to respond in a different way, please contact us.
Alternative and non-digital ways to provide feedback are available.
Contact us: ourhealthtogether@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk
Privacy and confidentiality
Your feedback will help inform the final refreshed Our Health Together strategy and support future delivery and implementation planning.
Please do not include personal, confidential or identifiable health information about yourself or anyone else in your response.
Your information will be handled in line with NHS Lanarkshire’s Privacy Notice and our responsibilities under data protection legislation.
Read our Privacy Notice
Accessibility
We’re committed to making this engagement accessible and inclusive for everyone.
If you need this information in another format, language or require support to take part, please let us know and we’ll do our best to help.
Read our Accessibility Statement.
