We Asked, You Said, We Did

Fife Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) and members of the Integration Joint Board (IJB) want to build good relationships with the public and people who are using health and social care services so we can work together to shape services in Fife for the future. In 2022, during a consultation with people in Fife, we asked how they would like to share their views and opinions about health and social care services with Fife HSCP and the IJB.

People told us that they wanted us to create a platform where they could come together with staff from Fife HSCP and members of the IJB and this led to the development of the Fie Wide Public Engagement Forum (FWPEF).

The initial meeting of the FWPEF was held in October 2024 and there have been 7 further meetings of forum members, both online and in person, since that time.  Forum members have been involved in helping to shape our draft Strategic Plan, made contributions to newsletters and supported a promotional campaign to attract new members.  They have taken an active role in the meetings, and the forum continues to grow and develop in strength and numbers.  

We asked for feedback on what was working well with ADHD (CYP) Services and what was not working well.  We asked people to share what was important to them at each stage of their journey and to what extent services and supports matched what was important. We also sought suggestions around what changes would improve experiences of ADHD (CYP) Services.

Survey feedback identified several themes including a range of challenges and opportunities for improvement. These pointed to early opportunities for improving elements of the patient journey, alongside longer-term changes which would require a more systemic response. Changes that could improve experience related to access, communications, waiting times, reviews, partnership working, staffing, medication, transitions and early intervention.

The feedback report was presented to the Fife Health and Social Care Partnership ADHD (CYP) Review Group and used to develop options for the future provision of services in Fife.  The outcome of the review was submitted to the Fife HSCP Integration Joint Board for consideration. Fife has now implemented a Neurodevelopmental Assessment Pathway for children and young people, focusing on support based on need rather than just diagnosis.

In March 2024 NHS Fife and the University of St Andrews announced the development of a new medical degree programme and wanted to give the people and communities of Fife the opportunity to be involved and to use their input to help to shape the knowledge, skills and training of the medical workforce of the future. We asked people to share their thoughts and experiences on seeing a doctor in relation to 12 attributes including; Compassion and Empathy, Listening and Understanding and Good People Skills and whether current experiences matched with those attributes

Feedback indicated that the top 2 attributes people value in a doctor are Compassion and Empathy, and Listening and Understanding.  Most people felt that their current experiences either fully or partially matched with the attributes they identified as valuable in that they had experienced clear communication, feeling listened to, professionalism and being treated with kindness and care when seeing a doctor.  They also noted that different doctors provided different standards of care and that there is a lack of consistency and continuity in the way care is provided by doctors.

The feedback from the consultation was used to support areas of the curriculum for a new medical degree training doctors to work in Fife’s communities in a way that focuses on the needs of the Fife Population as identified by them. The first cohort of medical students are now following the curriculum, part of which was developed based upon the feedback received from people who took part in the engagement.

We asked unpaid carers about the information, support, and breaks they receive, and how well these meet their needs.

Many carers do not feel recognised by their GP and are unaware of their rights under the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016.  Carers also told us that their Adult Carer Support Plans have not improved their caring support needs. Information and support are available from a range of organisations across Fife but there are barriers to accessing support and signposting and accessibility needs to improve, particularly around financial issues and short breaks for carers.

We are working with partners to improve signposting, strengthen carer recognition, and enhance access to information about support, financial guidance and short breaks. We are also taking steps to increase awareness of carers’ rights and ensure support planning better reflects carers’ needs.