The University Health & Social Care North Lanarkshire's Strategic Commissioning Plan for 2026-2029 has received official approval from the North Lanarkshire Integration Joint Board. This new three-year blueprint is designed to enable more residents to live well, maintain their independence, and access timely assistance.
Plan Objectives
The plan outlines a collaborative approach where services work closely with individuals, families, carers, communities, and partner organizations. The goal is to streamline access to support and tailor it to each person's needs. It builds on significant progress made over the past three years, including increased support for people in their homes or communities, reduced delays for hospital discharges, enhanced assistance for unpaid carers, stronger community nursing services, and expanded use of digital technology to ensure safety at home.
During this period, the partnership replaced over 3,400 community alarm units with digital alternatives, supported the development of frailty services, launched a new Carers Strategy, and increased investment in advocacy services.
Key Priorities
The plan focuses on five main priorities:
- Preventing problems before they escalate
- Tackling inequality
- Supporting stronger local communities
- Helping people live healthier lives at all ages
- Making health and social care more accessible
A major emphasis is on prevention, with a focus on early intervention to avoid the need for more intensive support. For local residents, this could mean clearer advice, quicker assistance, fewer repeated assessments, better links between services, and more help available close to home.
The plan also acknowledges the diverse challenges faced by North Lanarkshire's communities, where some people experience poorer health earlier in life and face greater barriers to accessing support.
Statement from Board Chair
Brian Moore, chair of the Integration Joint Board, stated: "This plan is all about the people of North Lanarkshire. It has been designed to help more people live well, stay independent and get the right support at the right time. It builds on the good work already happening across North Lanarkshire and gives us a clear direction for the next three years."
He added: "Tackling inequality is central to this plan. We need to understand what different communities need and shape support around people and places, rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach. Our plan is designed around the Getting It Right for Everyone approach we use for our health and social care services in North Lanarkshire. This means services working together to support the person, rather than expecting people to find their own way through a complicated system. It also means listening to people, carers and families, focusing on their strengths and making sure support is practical, joined up and based on what matters to them."
Role of Digital Technology
Moore emphasized that digital technology will continue to play a crucial role by helping people stay safe at home, improving communication between services, and enabling staff to work more effectively. However, he stressed that digital change must not leave anyone behind. People who cannot or are not confident using digital services will still have alternative ways to access support.
