Social Work Scotland response to NHS Delivery – A new national delivery organisation: consultation
30 November 2025
Introduction
Social Work Scotland is the professional body for social work leaders, working closely with our partners to shape policy and practice, and improve the quality and experience of social services. We welcome the opportunity to respond to the Scottish Government’s consultation on the proposed NHS Delivery model. We recognise the ambition to streamline national health services and improve integration across health and social care. Our response reflects the perspective of social work leaders, highlighting implications for local authority commissioned services and statutory social work functions. While Social Work Scotland supports the ambition and direction of the NHS Delivery proposal, we are concerned that social care and social work are not sufficiently represented in current planning. The absence of explicit commitments to these sectors risks undermining the integration and outcomes that these reforms are intended to achieve.
Background
The merger of NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) and NHS Education for Scotland (NES) into the new NHS Delivery organisation is scheduled for April 2026. The primary objectives of this transformation include advancing digital initiatives, developing ‘Once for Scotland’ strategies, fostering innovation, and streamlining organisational structures. These changes are designed to align with and support both the Population Health and Service Renewal Frameworks and the NHS Scotland Operational Improvement Plan ensuring that strategic priorities are met across the healthcare landscape.
With regard to social care and local authority impact, local authorities will continue to hold responsibility for social care commissioning. However, NHS Delivery will offer guidance through the establishment of national standards, supporting digital integration, and promoting workforce development. The drive towards enhanced interoperability between health and social care sectors is expected to facilitate improved data sharing and continuity of care for service users.
Furthermore, joint training programs and shared digital tools will provide opportunities for stronger collaboration and increased efficiency among professionals. While councils will maintain statutory functions relating to social work, they will also benefit from more streamlined processes and access to wider national resources, ultimately supporting better outcomes for communities throughout Scotland.
Recent Audit Scotland analysis[1] highlights that Integration Joint Boards are facing unprecedented financial pressures, declining reserves, and workforce instability, with a projected £457 million funding gap for 2024/25 and many IJBs now lacking contingency funds. Social care commissioning and delivery are already under significant strain, with high staff turnover, persistent vacancies, and no meaningful shift from hospital to community-based care. These challenges underscore the imperative that social work and social care services are not lost or diluted in the proposed NHS Delivery merger. The new national body must explicitly protect and prioritise social work and social care, ensuring sustainable funding, robust workforce planning, and strong commissioning practices. This aligns with the key messages of the Service Renewal Framework, which calls for a relentless focus on prevention, equity, and person-centred care, and recognises the vital role of social work in supporting Scotland’s most vulnerable people. Without this focus, there is a real risk that the merger will exacerbate existing challenges and undermine the integration and outcomes that these reforms are intended to achieve. It is therefore essential that NHS Delivery’s development is guided by the principles of partnership, co-design, and a commitment to strengthening – not sidelining – social work and social care within Scotland’s health and care system.
[1] Integration Joint Boards: Finance and performance 2024 | Audit Scotland
