Centre for Sustainable Delivery Winter Newsletter
Welcome to the Winter 2025 Newsletter for the Centre for Sustainable Delivery.
During 2024/2025, our teams have made a real difference for NHS Scotland staff and patients.
Some of our highlights include:
- Modernising Patient Pathways initiatives have released over 230,000 appointments, saving 4 million patient travel miles and avoiding £45 million in costs.
- The National Elective Coordination Unit has validated more than 235,000 patients and co-ordinated care for thousands through targeted campaigns.
- Our Cancer team helped launch Scotland’s newest Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Service, bringing the total to 6 and providing over 2,704 people faster access to diagnosis.
- The Diabetes Closed Loop Programme continued with more than 1,000 patients onboarded.
Innovation
New genetic tests set to improve care across Scotland
Two innovative genetic tests are being rolled out across NHS Scotland through the Accelerated National Innovation Adoption (ANIA) pathway, led by the Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD). These tests aim to deliver faster, more personalised care and better outcomes for patients.
Preventing hearing loss in newborns
NHS Scotland is the first in the UK to introduce nationwide genetic testing for newborns with suspected infections, including sepsis.
This quick, point-of-care test, carried out via a gentle cheek swab, identifies if a baby carries a genetic variant that could lead to permanent hearing loss when treated with a common antibiotic, gentamicin.
Results are available in just 26 minutes and done cot side, helping clinicians make safer treatment decisions and protect babies’ hearing.
For the full story, visit this link.
Transforming stroke care
A pioneering genetic test is also being introduced to improve stroke treatment. By identifying specific genetic variations through a blood sample, this reveals if individuals who have recently suffered a stroke are resistant to Clopidogrel, a common drug prescribed during recovery.
By identifying this, clinicians can prescribe the most effective medication for each patient, leading to better recovery and reducing pressure on services.
For the full story, visit this link.
Digital Dermatology
A new national digital dermatology service is enabling GPs to include an image of the patient’s skin to their referral to Dermatology.
Since its rollout in September, more than 12,000 patients have been referred using the new technology, enabling dermatologists to triage more effectively. , reducing demand on waiting lists by up to 50% and supporting earlier skin cancer diagnosis.
For the full story, visit this link.
Improving health through diabetes prevention
A £4.8 million Scottish Government investment will fund digital programmes to help prevent type 2 diabetes.
Delivered through the ANIA pathway, the initiative will provide virtual consultations and lifestyle support for up to 15,000 people, with 4,000 expected to avoid developing the condition.
For the full story, visit this link.
National Elective Coordination Unit unlocks capacity to help waiting times for NHS Scotland
The National Elective Coordination Unit (NECU) programme is transforming elective care by, matching demand with capacity across health boards to make the best use of every appointment, including cataract patients and breast referrals.
Since launching, NECU has validated 298,000 cases saving over 24,000 unnecessary appointments. The programme has also co-ordinated delivery of 16,500 procedures associated with £9.4 million in cost avoidance, achieving 98 per cent patient satisfaction.
For the full story, visit this link.
Earlier Cancer diagnosis
Detecting colorectal cancer earlier
A redesigned diagnostic pathway is being introduced across NHS Scotland to speed up bowel cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Developed by clinical experts and supported by £1.5 million from the Scottish Government’s Detect Cancer Earlier programme, provides a gold standard for access to diagnostic investigations with cancer ruled in or out by day 28.
Colorectal cancer is the fourth most common cancer in Scotland, and earlier diagnosis can significantly improve survival rates.
For the full story, visit this link.
Click this link to view the pathway.
NHS Grampian paves way for using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in lung cancer care across Scotland
NHS Grampian is trialling AI technology to speed up lung cancer detection, building on its successful GRACE project.
Using Annalise Chest X-ray AI software, which highlights images that may show signs of lung cancer, the approach has identified 12% more treatable cancers and cut time to treatment by 30 days, with potential to improve care across Scotland. This means that significant illnesses are identified earlier and patients experience fewer delays and waiting times.
Similar technologies are being assessed for potential national adoption via the Accelerated National Innovation Adoption pathway
For the full story, visit this link.
Helping to identify cancer earlier
Clinicians across Scotland can now refer patients with suspected cancer more quickly thanks to updated Scottish Referral Guidelines.
The evidence-based guidance aims to support earlier diagnosis and faster access to specialist care across Scotland.
For the first time, the guidelines include referral criteria for people with non-specific but concerning symptoms such as unexplained fatigue, nausea or weight loss - helping ensure more patients can be assessed earlier, even when their symptoms don’t point clearly to a single type of cancer.
For the full story, visit this link.
Click this link to view the resources
Expansion of successful Green Healthcare programme
Building on the success of the National Green Theatre Programme, NHS Scotland is expanding its sustainability work through NHS Green Healthcare Scotland (NGHS), led by the Centre for Sustainable Delivery.
The programme now includes Renal and Endoscopy services, offering major environmental and financial benefits.
Having already saved 12,000 tonnes of CO₂e, NGHS is projected to save over 20,000 tonnes annually, which is the equivalent to 5,700 UK homes annual energy use.
Renal services could cut 2,500 tonnes of CO₂e and save £1.2 million each year, while Endoscopy offers potential savings of 3,000 tonnes and £1.5 million.
For the full story, visit this link.
Modernising Patient Pathways
Perioperative Delivery Group: Bringing the framework to life
Health Board leaders from across Scotland recently came together for a national meeting of the Perioperative Delivery Group (PDG), focused on turning the Framework for Perioperative Services into action.
Organised by the Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD), the event provided a full day of shared learning, data-driven planning and practical workshops to support local implementation.
The meeting highlighted improvement projects, explored how data can drive change and helped teams identify priorities and actions for the months ahead.
Feedback from the day will inform next steps as CfSD continues to support Health Boards in delivering sustainable improvements in perioperative care.
