NHS Forth Valley new chief says healthcare 'all about right service, in right place'

However, Ross McGuffie is quick to say that will only be achieved with the support of the management team and staff working alongside him: colleagues who he praises for their efforts after a testing few years.

Mr McGuffie was announced as chief executive in the summer of last year, taking up his post almost six months ago. He came to the top role after over two decades working in health and social care, most recently as chief officer of health and social care for North Lanarkshire.

His predecessor, Cathy Cowan announced in August 2023 she was retiring after five years in post. During this time she had to deal with the pandemic, but also huge issues involving out-of-hours waiting times and unscheduled care, which saw the health board placed in special measures by the Scottish government.

Shortly before the new chief executive was in place, the government announced it would no longer have direct control over the running of NHS Forth Valley and from October 1, 2024, it moved to stage 3 of the NHS Scotland Support and Intervention Framework.

The health board has said it was looking for someone to “drive transformation” at the top, adding whoever got the position “must take the lead in dealing with the problems of matching available resources to competing priorities and demands”.

Mr McGuffie said he has had an “incredible welcome” from everyone, both those working with the health board, as well as all the partner agencies, including the area’s three local authorities.

"I’ve been impressed by the level of collaboration shown already and I’ve got a great team around me,” he admitted. “There is a culture of change and we’ve engaged with staff to come up with priorities for action which is a big step forward.

"It would be easy to just complete a tick box exercise but in Forth Valley there is a real bravery to get things done.”

He admitted that, like every health board in Scotland, there are challenges around performance, but says that if they managed to clear the backlog of patients awaiting diagnosis and treatment created during the pandemic, then the improvements in service delivery through innovational working would be more apparent.

Mr McGuffie said he was attracted to the role – which many might have considered somewhat of a poisoned chalice – by what he calls the “Forth Valley attitude” of getting things done.

"When I spoke to the exec team there was a good vibe – everyone was up for the challenge – and we’ve got great staff as well. They recognise there is a real opportunity to make a difference in peoples’ lives by improving their health.”

The new Forth Valley leadership group being formed to bring together public sector leaders in the area to discuss common priorities, issues and opportunities, is another exciting innovation which he believes will improve joint working and shared efficiencies.

He also believes the new health strategy currently being finalised will set a tone to “empower people to look after themselves”.

Preventative measures for conditions such as heart disease and diabetes will not only give people a better quality of life, but also save money for the health board, which like other public services bodies is facing belt tightening in the face of rising costs.

The chief executive realises that for many people their traditional first port of call for healthcare advice would have been their GP, however, support for people in the community has changed in recent years.

Within the team at their GP practice they are likely to find advanced physiotherapy practitioners, mental health nurses, advanced nurse practitioners, pharmacists and phlebotomists, all there to provide care to patients, often without the need to see the GP.

But he accepts that some people still are of the mindset that they want to see a GP, however, is hopeful there will be a shift in attitude as understanding grows of how these other health professionals can provide the support they need.

However, Mr McGuffie said that Forth Valley was fortunate in that it was not facing the dearth in GPs being faced in other parts of Scotland

He added that there was also a “really positive model” for the role of pharmacists in Forth Valley where they can offer free treatment for a range of common health conditions without the need for a prescription which he said was an invaluable service.

The chief executive also praised the achievement of NHS Forth Valley's community hospital pharmacy team who won the "Hospital Pharmacy Team of the Year" title at the 2024 Scottish Healthcare Awards with the acute pharmacy team also a finalist.

He also wants to get the message over that the Minor Injuries Unit in Stirling can provide care for many patients who are still turning up at Forth Valley Royal Hospital’s A&E department.

Anyone over the age of one can be treated for a variety of complaints at the unit in Stirling Health and Care Village: everything from burns and cuts to broken bones. The unit is open from 9am to 9pm, seven days a week. Patients can access their treatment even quicker by calling NHS 24 on 111 first.

“Together all of these services are important to ensuring that we provide people with the right service at the right time, as quickly and simply as we possibly can.”