Falkirk’s Integration Joint Board, responsible for the strategic planning and operational oversight of local health and social care services, met on 20 March 2026. Here’s a summary of what member’s discussed:

Chief Officer Report

The Chief Officer’s report provides updates on local, regional and national developments across the Partnership. Key points include:

• Work is underway to produce a new Strategic Plan for local health and social care services. People are being encouraged to learn more and sign up to updates at falkirkhscp.org/strategic-plan. The Board has agreed to produce a new 10 year strategic plan, with 3-year milestone reviews.
• Changes to the way care is delivered at Tygetshaugh Court’s Housing with Care complex have now been implemented. New providers are in place to meet individual care needs and Housing with Care staff have been redeployed or are going through the relevant redeployment and HR processes. A handover period is in place to support the transition to tenants new providers.
• Earlier in the week (17 March), Falkirk marked World Social Work Day with a programme of events and activities. The day also coincided with the launch of Scotland’s new National Social Work Agency. Falkirk’s Chief Social Work Officer, Sara Lacey, has shared a short video message celebrating both events.
• A new body is being established to drive transformation across Scotland’s health and care system and the wider public sector. Public Services Delivery Scotland will replace NHS Education for Scotland (NES) and NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) from 1 April 2026. Professor Karen Reid, currently Chief Executive at NES, has been appointed as Public Services Delivery Scotland’s Chief Executive.

• 🔗Agenda item 5: Chief Officer Report

Financial Updates

The Chief Finance Officer presented an IJB Business Case for 2026/27 and a budget for the new financial year. The budget, worth £342m, sets out how Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership will manage increasing financial pressures while continuing to deliver vital care and support to local residents.

The Board confirmed that a funding gap of £1.4m for the year ahead will be met through a one‑off use of non-recurring funding. However, members also heard that a longer‑term budget shortfall of around £14 million is forecast over the next five years unless significant changes are made. Further information is available on the Partnership’s news pages.

• 🔗Agenda item 6: 2026/27 Business Case and Medium-Term Financial Plan Update
• 🔗Agenda item 7: Budget Monitoring Report December 2025/26

The Scottish Government has committed to rolling out a network of walk-in GP services across Scotland, the first of which has already launched in the Wester Hailes area of Edinburgh. As part of a commitment to establish 16 site locations, NHS Forth Valley submitted a successful proposal for a site in Clackmannanshire.

Work is now underway to set up a pilot walk-in centre for Clackmannanshire, which is expected to launch by the end of summer 2026. The aim is to establish a service that will operate 7 days a week between 12pm – 8pm to support people with urgent but non-emergency health needs.

Further detail will be confirmed as work progresses to design and establish the service.

• 🔗Agenda item 8: Forth Valley GP Walk in Centre Pilot

Shifting the Balance of Care Business Case

A new approach to help people return home from hospital sooner and recover in familiar surroundings is to continue, following the completion of a successful pilot period.

An evaluation of the Shifting the Balance project was completed in December, demonstrating that the approach has shortened the average length of time people stated in hospital, and reduced delayed discharges to their lowest since April 2022.

The Board has now agreed, subject to NHS Forth Valley Board approving the required funding, that permanent teams and infrastructure will be established to embed the approach as business as usual. A report to NHS Forth Valley will now be presented to confirm the required £2m funding for 2026/27.

Further information about Shifting the Balance is available on the Partnership’s news pages.

• 🔗Agenda item 8: Shifting the Balance of Care Business Case

Chief Officer Recruitment

Falkirk’s Integration Joint Board will seek to recruit a new Chief Officer, following confirmation that Gail Woodcock will leave the organisation from 7 June. Gail is to take up the opportunity to join NHS Grampian as a Director of Strategy, Transformation and Performance, with the role also serving as Deputy Chief Executive from year 2.

Recruitment is to be led by an IJB Appointment Committee, led by Gordon Johnston, IJB Chair. Recruitment activity is expected to launch imminently. If there is a gap between the existing postholder and a new candidate commencing employment, appropriate arrangements to appoint an interim Chief Officer will be made by the Chief Executives of Falkirk Council and NHS Forth Valley.

• 🔗Agenda item 8:Chief Officer Recruitment

Assurance and Governance

In addition to topical and thematic reports, the Board received an Assurance Report form the Performance, Audit, and Assurance Committee based upon its most recent meeting.

A Commissioning and Contracts Monitoring Report was presented to the Board in private. Exclusion of the public was applied to this agenda item under Section 11(1), Appendix 1 (viii, ix, x), of the Falkirk Integration Joint Board Standing Orders.