NHS Grampian: Year in Review 2025
Published: 19/12/2025 09:00
As we reach the close of 2025, it is important to reflect on a year that has tested our resilience and presented opportunities for growth across NHS Grampian. The challenges we have faced - financial, operational, and systemic - have been considerable, along with the impact of being escalated to Level 4 under the NHS Scotland Support and Intervention Framework. Yet our teams have responded with unwavering commitment and compassion.
We recognise how tough things have been and continue to be, as well as how far we still have to go, but together we have made meaningful progress for our patients, communities and staff.
Highlights of progress
• Putting People First developments – including the Community Appointment Days which are now happening across Grampian. These are an example of innovation and bringing prevention, self-care and patient-centered care together. They are benefiting our community and receiving much positive feedback from the people attending. We have strengthened our Quality Impact Assessment process and ensured strong clinical input, so that all decisions we make as part of our Value and Sustainability Programme are robustly tested for their impact on patient safety, quality and experience as well as staff wellbeing and morale.
• Staff support – including being the first Health Board in Scotland to sign the Migraine Trust Workplace Pledge, launching our Neuro-Diverse Employee Group, introducing joint Area Clinical Forum/Grampian Area Partnership Forum meetings, so we can work together to further improve staff experience, and we were shortlisted in the Outstanding Leadership category in the Living Wage Scotland Awards.
• Collaborative Working & System Integration - this year saw NHS Grampian fully engaged in partnership working, both within our organisation and across Scotland.
• Service Improvements - we celebrated the launch of the Swift Urological Response Evaluation (SURE) Unit - a pioneering diagnostic centre for urological cancers inspired by patients, charity partners and staff and made possible through collaboration with them. This initiative will double our diagnostic capacity and streamline patient journeys.
• Digital innovation projects in dermatology and theatre scheduling have also supported improved decision-making and reduced waiting times.
• Innovation - using research to help patients, such as the development of revolutionary new treatments using the immune system to kill cancer cells and use of AI technology to help detect lung cancer faster
• Quality Improvement & Staff Recognition - the Quality Improvement Fellowship and frontline teams have demonstrated how local challenges can be transformed into opportunities for better outcomes and experiences. Staff achievements have been nationally recognised, including awards for excellence in nursing, support work, paediatric care and voluntary service.
• Inclusivity and Culture - our commitment to inclusivity was celebrated through events such as Grampian Pride, Volunteers’ Week, and the continued delivery of our Anti-Racism Plan in partnership with the University of Aberdeen. Staff networks and catering teams have created authentic opportunities for edible celebrations around key dates, fostering a sense of belonging and community.
• Sustainability and Environmental Responsibility - A successful feasibility study with partners has shown that NHS Grampian could become home to Scotland’s first geothermal heating plant. Heating the Foresterhill site and connecting to existing and future local heat networks exemplifies our resolve to lead on sustainability. Meanwhile our Biodiversity Strategy launch and ongoing decarbonisation projects further demonstrate our commitment to environmental stewardship.
• And as winter gets underway, Vaccination and Public Health - our vaccination programmes continue to deliver above-average uptake, saving lives and reducing inequalities. New initiatives have protected vulnerable groups from severe respiratory disease, and our teams remain focused on improving rates in communities with lower uptake.
Looking Ahead
This year we can evidence progress in a number of areas where we are an outlier and are underperforming. This includes being on track against our financial and savings plans (after month 8 of the year) and addressing our longest wait patients as part of our Planned Care programme. However, we must remain resolutely focused on sustaining this progress as we move into 2026 and ensure we see similar results when it comes to unscheduled care so that our emergency patients get a consistently better experience whilst in our care.
As we look to 2026, our priorities will be:
• People first - and increased focus on staff experience/engagement.
• Improving organisational culture - leadership, health and wellbeing, equality.
• Continued focus on improving operational performance (and with this patient safety and experience).
• Financial sustainability - system transformation/redesign opportunities explored.
• Strengthened operational governance and more inclusive decision-making.
• Continued focus on collaboration, partnership and system working, and fulsome engagement in the new sub national Committees which were announced by the Cabinet Secretary last month.
• Delivering on our Improvement plan, which our Board approved last week and is how we are responding to the recently-published external diagnostic review.
• Agreeing de-escalation criteria with Scottish Government so we have a clear path to move from level 4 to 3 as part of the NHS Scotland NHS Support and Intervention Framework.
On behalf of the Board, we extend our heartfelt thanks to every member of staff, our partners and our communities for your support and dedication throughout the year. We wish you all a healthy, happy, and prosperous New Year. For those who may not yet have seen it (and once again for those that have) let’s remind ourselves of some highlights and remember what makes us all #ProudToBeNHSG (NHS Grampian Annual Review 2025 Film).
We go into 2026 with much to build on, to be proud of and with optimism for our future.
Best wishes
Alison Evison, Board Chair
Laura Skaife-Knight, CEO
