Integrated joint board plan agreed

Orkney Islands Council and NHS Orkney have approved a plan for Orkney’s Integrated Joint Board (IJB).

The IJB is made of up of members of the health board and islands councillors, and will steer the delivery of health and social care services in the county.

A special general meeting, in the council chamber today, was attended by OIC councillors and NHS Board members, who approved a Strategic Commissioning Plan for 2016 – 2019.

There were concerns over the creation of another body, particularly that this could complicate the delivery of health services in the county.

However, at this afternoon’s meeting councillor Owen Tierney said: “I am sitting here and listening and can appreciate where everyone is coming from. It is perhaps not ideal, but it is forced upon all authorities and I think the thing that is going to be important is to trust each other and trust the chief officers to act responsibly.”

All Scottish local authorities must submit their plans to the Scottish Government before April 1.