FOI/202500495527 · FOI · unclear
Scottish Government’s engagements with NHS Boards in relation to winter preparedness planning: FOI release
Information requested
In light of the publishing of the Scottish Government’s surge and winter preparedness in health and social care services national planning priorities and principles, whether the Scottish Government has received a finalised document from health boards outlining their operational surge and winter preparedness plans for 2025. If so, when did the government receive each health board’s plans? If the Scottish Government has received or is expected to receive such plans, was a deadline set for health boards to submit their plans? If so, when was this deadline set, how long did health boards have to submit plans, and what was the deadline to submit plans? On which date did health boards receive the Scottish Government’s surge and winter preparedness in health and social care services national planning priorities and principles?
Response
In relation to section 1 of your request, regarding whether the Scottish Government had received a finalised document from health boards outlining their operational surge and winter preparedness plans for 2025 and when these were received, the Scottish Government received assurance from all NHS Boards outlining their operational surge and winter preparedness for 2025 in the form of local plans and correspondence.
The table below sets out when the Scottish Government received each Board’s plan, and all were received by 22nd October.
Board Plan Received Date received NHS 24 Yes 14/10/2025 NHS Ayrshire and Arran Yes 17/10/2025 NHS Borders Yes 10/10/2025 NHS Dumfries and Galloway Yes 17/10/2025 NHS Fife Yes 17/10/2025 NHS Forth Valley Yes 16/10/2025 NHS Grampian Yes 08/10/2025 NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Yes 15/10/2025 NHS Highland Yes 16/10/2025 NHS Lanarkshire Yes 15/10/2025 NHS Lothian No NHS Lothian indicated they did produce a separate winter planning document, but instead winter and surge planning was embedded across whole year planning. NHS Orkney Yes 10/10/2025 NHS Shetland Yes 17/10/2025 NHS Tayside Yes 17/10/2025 NHS Western Isles Yes 22/10/2025 Scottish Ambulance Service Yes 16/10/2025
In relation to section 2 of your request, regarding the deadline for submission for these plans, on the 8th October 2025 the Scottish Government asked NHS Boards to share their ‘Local Winter Assurance Plans for 2025/2026’ by Thursday 16 October 2025. Flexibility was allowed on this submission date and extensions to the deadline agreed if requested by Boards.
In relation to section 3 of your request, regarding the when health boards received the Scottish Government’s surge and winter preparedness in health and social care services national planning priorities and principles, on the 21st August 2025 NHS Board Chief Executives received a fully developed draft of the document to facilitate the development of their own Board plans. NHS Board Chief Executives were also asked to provide feedback on the document.
About FOI
The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.
Contact Please quote the FOI reference Central Correspondence Unit Email: contactus@gov.scot Phone: 0300 244 4000 The Scottish Government St Andrew's House Regent Road Edinburgh EH1 3DG
Detected exemption language
Response In relation to section 1 of your request, regarding whether the Scottish Government had received a finalised document from health boards outlining their operational surge and winter preparedness plans for 2025 and when these were received, the Scottish Government received assurance from all NHS Boards outlining their operational surge and winter preparedness for 2025 in the form of local plans and correspondence. NHS Orkney Yes 10/10/2025 NHS Shetland Yes 17/10/2025 NHS Tayside Yes 17/10/2025 NHS Western Isles Yes 22/10/2025 Scottish Ambulance Service Yes 16/10/2025 In relation to section 2 of your request, regarding the deadline for submission for these plans, on the 8th October 2025 the Scottish Government asked NHS Boards to share their ‘Local Winter Assurance Plans for 2025/2026’ by Thursday 16 October 2025. In relation to section 3 of your request, regarding the when health boards received the Scottish Government’s surge and winter preparedness in health and social care services national planning priorities and principles, on the 21st August 2025 NHS Board Chief Executives received a fully developed draft of the document to facilitate the development of their own Board plans.
Attachments
No attachments found.