The Integration Joint Board (IJB) met on Wednesday, 1 July 2026, to discuss a range of important matters concerning health and social care services across Aberdeenshire. Key decisions included the approval of the Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership's Annual Performance Report for 2025-2026, the relocation of the Macduff Vaccination Service to Chalmers Hospital in Banff, and the declaration of Alford Clinic as surplus to requirements.

IJB Budget Update 2026/27

The board received an update on the IJB's revenue budget for 2026/27 as at 31 May 2026. The financial position showed a net favourable year-to-date variance of £1.372 million against the budget. However, officers cautioned that it was too early in the financial year to provide a reliable forecast outturn. Significant favourable variances were noted within Council Social Care (£713,000) and NHSG Core Services (£565,000). The report highlighted that the underlying financial environment remained challenging, with key risks for 2026/27 including demand-led pressures, workforce constraints, prescribing, market capacity, and wider system interdependencies. The board was assured that these risks would continue to be managed through strengthened governance, enhanced budget monitoring, early escalation of emerging issues, delivery of savings and service redesign plans, and ongoing engagement with funding partners on financial risk and reserves.

IJB Recovery Plan

The Integration Joint Board was asked to note that it had recommended to NHS Grampian and Aberdeenshire Council that the Recovery Plan should be stood down. NHS Grampian had agreed to this position, and Aberdeenshire Council's decision was to be reported verbally at the meeting. The board was recommended to agree that ongoing financial performance and risk should continue to be managed through routine governance arrangements, regular reporting to the IJB and funding partners, and escalation where required. The report detailed the significant progress made in strengthening financial grip and control during 2025/26, which contributed to a materially improved financial position. The potential underwriting requirement reduced from £17.155m to £3.147m, and the Partnership reported a £14.008m underspend at year-end.

Review of Integration Scheme

The board was asked to note amendments to the Integration Scheme required to implement legislative changes to the voting membership, which were due to come into effect from 1 September 2026. Both NHS Grampian and Aberdeenshire Council would be asked to approve these changes. The Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Integration Joint Board) (Scotland) Amendment Order 2025 extends voting rights to previously non-voting members, including service user representatives, unpaid carer representatives, and third sector representatives. Minor technical amendments to the scheme were required to ensure compliance with this new legislation.

Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership's Annual Performance Report 2025-2026

The Integration Joint Board was recommended to approve the final draft of the Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership (AHSCP) Annual Performance Report for 2025-2026. The report summarises how the AHSCP has planned and delivered health and social care services during the year, covering its five strategic priorities: Engagement; Prevention and Early Intervention; Reshaping Care; Tackling Inequalities and Public Protection; and Effective Use of Resources. The report acknowledged ongoing challenges, including increasing demand, complexity of need, and financial and workforce pressures, while highlighting progress in areas such as dementia support, technology-enabled care, and workforce planning. The board was also asked to agree for the Chief Officer to publish the report on the AHSCP website and share it with the Chief Executives of Aberdeenshire Council and NHS Grampian.

Alford Clinic

The Integration Joint Board was recommended to declare Alford Clinic surplus to requirements and instruct the Chief Officer to inform NHS Grampian to initiate their process for re-purposing or disposal. Patient-facing services from Alford Clinic ceased at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and did not resume. The building remained operational as office space until December 2025, at which point an IT upgrade was required for its continued use. Funding was secured to upgrade Alford Medical Practice to facilitate the co-location of health and social care staff and provide bookable space for visiting professionals. All teams have now moved to Alford Medical Practice, with no impact on service provision to the community. No other use for the clinic building has been identified by the Health & Social Care Partnership.

Proposed Move of Macduff Vaccination Service

The board was asked to approve the move of the vaccination service from the site of the previous Macduff GP Practice to Chalmers Hospital in Banff. Subject to this approval, the board was also asked to declare the Macduff premises surplus to Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership (AHSCP) requirements. The report acknowledged local concerns raised regarding access, parking, and travel, which had informed the engagement analysis and Integrated Impact Assessments. On balance, the proposal was recommended due to the move allowing the service to continue from a more sustainable and fit-for-purpose clinical base, with mitigations in place to reduce adverse impacts. The current Macduff building was identified as temporary and no longer suitable for clinical use, with ongoing operational costs of £27,972 per year. Relocating to Chalmers Hospital would enable more efficient use of resources and provide a more sustainable long-term base.

NHS Grampian as a Population Health Organisation

The Integration Joint Board was asked to consider and comment on the concept and model for NHS Grampian as a Population Health Organisation, as set out in Appendix 1 of the report. The board was also asked to support officer participation in a Community Planning Partners workshop to consider relevant maturity matrix domains and identify learning to strengthen whole-system partnership working. The report explained that becoming a Population Health Organisation reflects the need for the NHS to shift from a treatment-focused approach to one centred on population health and wellbeing, working collaboratively with partners to prevent ill health and reduce inequalities. NHS Grampian has begun exploring the actions required to support this shift, aligning with existing work across Grampian, Community Planning Partnerships, and Health and Social Care Partnerships.

Hosted Services - Service Level Agreements

The Integration Joint Board was recommended to approve the implementation of Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for 12 Grampian-wide Hosted Services . These services, including Sexual Health Services, Specialist Older Adults Rehabilitation Services, and HMP & YOI Grampian Health Services, are delivered on a pan-Grampian basis by one IJB on behalf of the others. The board was also recommended to defer a decision on proposed reporting arrangements until the November meeting to allow for the provision and consideration of baseline performance reports. Finally, the board was asked to approve the approach to service improvement and transformation activity. The SLAs aim to improve visibility and accountability of Hosted Services, enabling more regular and structured assurance of financial and operational performance.

2026/27 Supplementary Procurement Work Plan (Asset Management)

The Integration Joint Board agreed to note the Supplementary Procurement Work Plan, which included one Procurement Approval Form (PAF). They also noted the Procurement Approval Form and Award reports for items on the Work Plan within the IJB's remit and exceeding £1,000,000 in value. Aberdeenshire Council was directed to approve the services detailed in the Supplementary Procurement Work Plan on behalf of the Integration Joint Board. The board also noted that contract requirements relating to care and support services align with the IJB's Strategic Plan, specifically Outcome 2, and agreed that an update on the outcomes from the approved procurements would be included in the Commercial and Procurement Shared Service's annual report.

2026/27 Supplementary Procurement Work Plan D2A (Discharge to Assess)

Similar to the previous item, the Integration Joint Board agreed to note the Supplementary Procurement Work Plan for Discharge to Assess (D2A), which included one Procurement Approval Form (PAF). They also noted the Procurement Approval Form and Award reports for items on the Work Plan within the IJB's remit and exceeding £1,000,000 in value. Aberdeenshire Council was directed to approve the services detailed in the Supplementary Procurement Work Plan on behalf of the Integration Joint Board. The board also noted that contract requirements relating to care and support services align with the IJB's Strategic Plan, Outcome 2, and agreed that an update on the outcomes from the approved procurements would be included in the Commercial and Procurement Shared Service's annual report.