Community Appointment Days (CADs) aim to provide holistic health and wellbeing support in a community setting by bringing together health services, social care, and community partners in one accessible location. Their purpose is to empower attendees through co-designed events that focus on “What Matters to You” conversations, enabling individuals to voice priorities and make informed choices.
CADs reduce barriers to care by offering integrated services and resources in a non-clinical environment, fostering collaboration between services and community organisations, and promoting self-management and wellbeing. Ultimately, CADs seek to improve access, enhance patient experience, and strengthen connections across health and community networks.
Co-design is a fundamental principle of Community Appointment Days (CADs) because it ensures that they are shaped by the voices of those they aim to serve. Involving health services, voluntary organisations, and most importantly, people with lived experience from the outset creates CADs that are relevant, inclusive, and responsive to local needs. This collaborative approach moves away from a model of “doing to” people and instead fosters empowerment, shared ownership, and trust. Co-design embeds local context and priorities into planning, guarantees that interventions reflect real-world challenges, and strengthens relationships between professionals and communities. By integrating lived experience into every stage, from concept to delivery, CADs become more effective in addressing health inequalities and promoting holistic wellbeing.
CADs also demonstrates Getting It Right for Everyone (GIRFE) in action, a nationally co designed initiative designed to improve outcomes for people.
There are a number of CADs being planned at present across Grampian and we will be releasing information on booking specific CADs as they become available. To be kept informed please email: gram.puttingpeoplefirst@nhs.scot
For more information on upcoming and previous CADS see below:
