Scottish health secretary Neil Gray has confirmed £20 million to boost social care capacity.
Speaking to parliament, he shared updates on winter preparations for the NHS and urged people to get the flu vaccine.
The money will be targeted at initiatives by health boards to increase social care capacity and provide extra support at the front door of A&Es. This will reduce admissions and help to relieve pressure on acute services.
Gray also warned of an expected early and difficult flu season and urged everyone eligible to get their vaccination, particularly children and young people who can transmit the virus to vulnerable family members and friends.
To further help with winter pressures, the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) will recruit more than 290 new frontline A&E staff this year, including newly qualified paramedics and ambulance care assistants.
NHS 24 has also implemented a new call centre system backed by £5 million of investment. Over 90 per cent of callers triaged by NHS 24 as needing an ambulance response now have their call information transferred and referred digitally, removing repetitive stages of the call process and speeding up the process.
Health boards have been directed to undertake a new approach, working together to plan digital care and business systems, and make best use of available capacity for orthopaedic elective services.
Gray said: “We know pressure on the system exacerbates over winter and I am determined to ensure that pressure is relieved as much as possible. We have been preparing plans for this winter season throughout the past year with NHS boards and local authorities.
“Our investment of £20 million will be crucial in our efforts to bolster social care capacity, reduce unnecessary hospital admissions and ensure people receive the right care in the most appropriate setting.
“A key part of our winter response is prevention and our national flu vaccination programme is well underway. Vaccination is one of the best ways to protect our own health and those around us - with flu cases rising and initial evidence suggesting this may be an early and potentially difficult flu season, I urge all those who are eligible to get vaccinated."
“We have significantly increased Scottish Ambulance Service staffing and we are investing in capacity in our NHS 24 call centres so that people are getting the right support quickly and when they need it.
“Our dedicated health and social care staff are the cornerstone of our winter response every year – they will continue to work tirelessly in the coming months to provide excellent care, and I thank them for their outstanding efforts.”
