Lisa McCartney

Healthcare Improvement Scotland

We believe that every person in Scotland should receive the best healthcare possible every time you come into contact with your health service. We are the national healthcare improvement organisation for Scotland and part of NHSScotland. We work with staff who provide care in hospitals, GP practices, clinics, NHS boards and with patients, carers, communities and the public. Our work drives improvements in the quality of healthcare people receive by: - supporting and empowering people to have an informed voice in managing their own care and shaping how services are designed and delivered - delivering scrutiny activity which is fair but challenging and leads to improvements for patients providing quality improvement support to healthcare providers, and - providing clinical standards, guidelines and advice based upon the best available evidence. You may not notice Healthcare Improvement Scotland in your hospital, GP practice or clinic, but we play an important role helping others put into place the improvements to patient care that matter most to you. You may have heard of key parts of our organisation that have specific roles, including: Healthcare Environment Inspectorate Helps reduce the risk of healthcare associated infection to patients by inspecting hospitals in Scotland to ensure they are safe and clean. Community Engagement Supports organisations to involve staff, patients, carers and communities in the development of health and care services. Scottish Health Technologies Group Provides advice on the clinical and cost effectiveness of healthcare technologies that are likely to have significant implications for patient care in Scotland. Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network Develops evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for NHSScotland. Scottish Medicines Consortium Accepts for use those newly-licensed medicines that clearly represent good value for money to NHSScotland.