Working in Partnership with the NHS

Managed Clinical Networks
The Scottish Government defines managed clinical networks (MCNs) as ‘linked groups of health professionals and organisations from primary, secondary and tertiary care, working in a co-ordinated manner, unconstrained by existing professional and health board boundaries, to ensure equitable provision of high-quality, clinically effective services’.

The Government advises that MCNs can help Community Health Partnerships (CHP) to achieve their objectives in relation to the management of long-term conditions. Responsibilities include development of referral pathways, treatment protocols, clinical audit and the provision of good quality, consistent information to service users and their carers. Each network must include representation from service users and the voluntary sector in its management arrangements. They must have a defined structure which sets out the points at which the service is to be delivered, and devise an annual work plan, setting out the intended service improvements. Instructions from the Scottish Government include:

• Each MCN needs to have a clear strategy for involving service users and their carers.
• Each network should consider setting up a Patient Focus and Public Involvement sub-group to ensure that a PFPI approach is integral to all MCN business and structures.

Over the last two years, Asthma UK Scotland has established links with several respiratory MCNs and their paediatric subgroups in Borders, Forth Valley and Tayside. In 2008, a national steering group was set up by the Scottish Government with representatives from all respiratory clinical networks across Scotland. This included offering £50,000 to set up managed clinical networks where they do not already exist. Asthma UK Scotland was invited to be a member of this group and its working group in order to develop a work programme.  The purpose of the national steering group is to foster respiratory health, to improve the quality of care for patients with respiratory disease throughout Scotland and to encourage the implementation of good practice through local managed clinical networks. Its aims and remit include supporting minimum common standards of care for respiratory disease across Scotland and for the development of a national strategy for respiratory disease.

Community Health Partnerships
Community Health Partnerships are statutory bodies that were established under the NHS Reform (Scotland) Act. They aim to forge stronger partnerships between primary and secondary care and among local authorities, the voluntary sector and community groups.

They seek to deliver health services closer to communities and to increase the participation of communities in the design of local health services. Asthma UK Scotland shares many of the objectives of Community Health Partnerships and wishes to work with Community Health Partnerships to achieve their goals. These include:

• better equipping people with asthma to cope with their condition
• the promotion of self care and self-management tools
• the reduction in admissions to hospital for people with asthma
• tackling health inequalities.
  

Asthma UK Scotland has been visiting Community Health Partnerships throughout Scotland to discuss how our projects and materials can benefit people with asthma in their particular geographical area.  If you would like to work with Asthma UK Scotland please email us.