The Integration Joint Board is scheduled to meet on 30 September 2025 to discuss a range of topics, including unscheduled care improvement, digital innovation, and financial performance. The board will also consider the appointment of chairs to the Risk, Audit and Performance Committee and the Clinical and Care Governance Committee. Additionally, SAMH ¹ will present draft plans for the Nook coming to Aberdeen in 2026.

Digital Innovation Programme and Technology Enabled Care

The Integration Joint Board is scheduled to discuss the Digital Innovation Programme and Technology Enabled Care (TEC). A report will be presented to provide an update on activity since the last report to the board in September 2024.

The report pack notes that external funding of £1,238,627 has been secured through the Scottish Government's Public Service Reform Invest to Save Fund. This funding is intended to allow the partnership to develop applications that will assist and enhance the digital offering to the citizens of Aberdeen City and its workforce.

The report pack outlines that the ACHSCP has engaged with Aberdeen City Council to align business and digital ambitions into a collaborative roadmap. Requirements from the ACHSCP have been aligned with the three-year roadmap for customer, digital and data contained within the draft enabling strategy.

The report pack also details a number of ongoing digital and TEC workstreams:

• eMAR (Electronic Medication Administration Record): The eMAR system has now been successfully implemented at the Back Hilton Road Learning Disability service, following a pilot. There are now plans underway to extend the rollout to all in-house Learning Disability services.
• Stoneywood Development: The Stoneywood development is a new build site for ACHSCP Learning Disability service for people with high levels of complex care needs. The Technology Enabled Care (TEC) system for the site has been procured from Just Checking, following a comprehensive options appraisal and Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA).
• A2DT (Analogue to Digital Telecare): The A2DT programme is in its final implementation phase, with the digital Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) rollout underway.
• Technology Enabled Care (TEC) Programme: The TEC programme continues to develop across Aberdeen, with a focus on embedding digital solutions that support prevention, early intervention, and person-centred care.
• GP Visioning Digital Workstream – NHS Grampian: The GP Visioning Digital Workstream was formally established to explore and define what a digitally enabled general practice could look like five years into the future.
• Sibstar Test of Change: In partnership with Penumbra, a test of change is being launched involving five clients residing in supported living sites. Penumbra will assume corporate appointeeship responsibilities from Aberdeen City Council and use the Sibstar system to support these individuals with their daily finances.
• CoPilot: The ACHSCP has significantly expanded its use of Microsoft Copilot as a strategic enabler of digital transformation.
• Ongoing D365 development: The report pack states that the council continues to build and continually improve its D365 system through regular delivery phases, allowing for steady and responsive progress.

The Integration Joint Board will be asked to make a Direction to Aberdeen City Council to utilise the grant funding provided by the Scottish Government, Invest to Save Fund, in connection with the HSCP Digital Innovation Programme- Right Care, Right Time, Right Place bid.

Unscheduled Care Improvement

The Integration Joint Board is scheduled to discuss the Aberdeen City Health & Social Care Partnership's plan and impact on unscheduled care improvement. The report describes the ACHSCP's part of the 2025 NHS Grampian Unscheduled Care (USC) plan and associated bid to the Scottish Government in April 2025 to help improve unscheduled care performance and patient outcomes.

The ACHSCP involvement is primarily focused on the development and implementation of the Discharge without Delay (DwD) programme, which links to the frailty pathway. The DwD programme has four key workstreams:

• Community hospitals work, to enable access to step-down at point of referral.
• Frailty at front door, ensuring we have a Frailty team at front doors assessing and preventing admission where possible
• Home First with the creation of a Discharge to Assess model, ensuring there is wrap-around support.
• Integrated discharge hub, to ensure we have a single point of referral for community teams and supporting coordination of discharge.

The report pack notes that in addition to the confirmed funding of £803,000, an application for a further £656,300 has been submitted to enhance patient flow within ACHSCP's remit. This proposal is presently under review by the Scottish Government. Subject to approval, the additional resources will strengthen system capacity by increasing the availability of Interim Care Beds and expanding Care@Home hours.

The report pack also notes that following discussions in September with Scottish Government colleagues, additional funds of £1.5M have been allocated for expansion of Hospital at Home (H@H).

The Integration Joint Board will be asked to note the details of ACHSCP's plan for the improvement of unscheduled care performance and patient outcomes in NHS Grampian, acknowledging the funding model and impact this is required to deliver.

Financial Position

The Integration Joint Board is scheduled to receive a report on the financial position for Q1 – 2025 / 2026; and indicative results for Q2 – 2025 / 2026.

The report pack notes that the funding reported is at £442.863million considering the updated level of the set aside funding from the NHSG amounting to £59.238m. The Q1 2025/2026 results show a surplus between funding and spending amounting to £197k.

The report pack also notes that the Q1 spendings against budget is further analysed, and although the total shows a surplus of £197k, each individual service or care lines show some overspends. Some causes of overspends are due to the following matters:

• Staffing issues
• Commissioning costs increase
• Delayed funding commitments from the UK government
• Transition costs for children moving into adult care

The Integration Joint Board will be asked to note the financial performance of the IJB in Q1 2025/2026 in relation to the 2025-2026 funding availability.

Appointment of CCG and RAPC Chairs

The Integration Joint Board is scheduled to consider a report seeking agreement to appoint new Chairpersons to the Risk, Audit and Performance and Clinical and Care Governance Committees.

The report recommends that the Integration Joint Board:

• appoints Ritchie Johnson as Chairperson of the Risk, Audit and Performance Committee for a period not exceeding three years, commencing 30 November 2025; and
• appoints Councillor Lee Fairfull as Chairperson of the Clinical and Care Governance Committee for a period not exceeding three years, commencing 30 November 2025.

SAMH Presentation

Alex Cumming, Executive Director of Operations and Billy Watson, Chief Executive Officer, SAMH will present draft plans ahead of the formal announcement for the Nook coming to Aberdeen in 2026.

IJB Risk Appetite Statement

The Integration Joint Board will be asked to note the IJB Risk Appetite Statement. The statement recognises that the IJB is operating in a collaborative health and social care partnership, and that its appetite for risk will change over time. The IJB has identified several broad dimensions of risk which will affect the achievement of its strategic priorities, including finance, regulation and compliance, quality and innovation, safety, reputation, and commissioned and hosted services.