A CALL is being made for people across the region to help shape a renewed vision for local health and care.
NHS Dumfries and Galloway Board members considered a revised Statement of Strategic Intent for 2026–29 on 8 December – setting out how it intends to respond to rising demand, national policy changes, financial pressures and the evolving needs of local communities.
After they agreed it should now go out for wider engagement with staff, partners and the public, Director of Strategic Planning and Transformation David Rowland said: “We are at a pivotal moment.
“The challenges facing health are significant, but so too are the opportunities.
“This draft strategy and initial priorities aim to bring clarity about the direction we need to take, and it will only be strengthened by involving our staff, partners and communities in shaping the final version.”
The revised Statement of Strategic Intent sets out the organisation’s long-term ambition, the priorities it will focus on over the next three years, and the changes needed to deliver safe, sustainable and high-quality healthcare.
It outlines a long-term ambition by 2036 for NHS Dumfries and Galloway to become a financially sustainable, digitally enabled and workforce-led organisation delivering outstanding rural healthcare.
To reach that point, seven strategic objectives are proposed for delivery by 2029 – including modernising the remote and rural healthcare model, accelerating digital innovation, strengthening collaboration with Community Planning Partners, and embedding prevention in every aspect of planning and service delivery.
A new ‘social compact’ is also proposed, setting out NHS Dumfries and Galloway’s commitment to involving people more deeply in shaping services while also outlining what the organisation needs from communities and staff in return to ensure improvements are possible.
Alongside this, the draft document sets out Year One commitments for 2026/27.
These include delivering a new Financial Recovery Plan, undertaking six clinically led service reviews, expanding digital innovation projects, supporting workforce-led change in every Directorate and helping shape new models of care in partnership with communities.
Mr Rowland said: “This draft only a starting point for discussion.
“The next phase must be shaped through open conversations with the people who use our services and those who deliver them.
“To build a sustainable future, we need to build it together.”
Details on how people can take part in the upcoming engagement process will be provided through the NHS Dumfries and Galloway website, on social media, and via local partner organisations.