Partnership Structures

Research shows that partnership working is effective in bringing around organisational change and maintaining a stable employee relations climate.

Partnership Working

Partnership Working is the approach to employee relations within NHSScotland. As an employer, NHSScotland has always worked with Trade Unions and Professional Bodies to negotiate terms and conditions for staff. Over the last 20 years, NHSScotland has taken significant steps to develop and embed the concept and practice of partnership working. This involves the Scottish Government, NHS Employers, Trade Unions and Professional Organisations working closely to come to an agreement which will affect them. This requires openness, honesty and a commitment to share information in a transparent manner. Consensus is widely accepted as the best way of prioritising and achieving commitment to long term strategic change.

All workforce policies for NHSScotland are developed in full partnership. These can be viewed on:

https://www.staffgovernance.scot.nhs.uk/partnership/partnership-information-network/

Partnership working in NHSScotland was acknowledged in an Independent review by Nottingham University as having 'matured into probably the most ambitious and important contemporary innovation in British public sector industrial relations.' It has also recently been highlighted as good practice in the 'Working Together Review', which recommended partnership working and the approach to staff governance to other sectors.

Current National Partnership Structures

There are two key bodies both representing partnership working at a national level. Both have formal constitutions, are tripartite and co-chaired, with membership from the Scottish Government, NHSScotland Employers and NHSScotland Trade Unions/Professional Organisations.

Scottish Partnership Forum (SPF)

The Scottish Partnership Forum exists to provide the Scottish Government, NHSScotland employers and trade unions/professional organisations an opportunity to work together to improve health services for the people of Scotland.

SPF also provides the strategic link from the Partnership Groups into various Scottish Government Board meetings and discussions are shared with Local Area Partnership Forums to ensure that local NHS systems are aware of what is being discussed at a National Level.

The Scottish Workforce and Staff Governance Committee (SWAG)

SWAG provides a forum to address workforce issues that require Scottish-wide solutions, working in conjunction with the SPF to ensure that NHSScotland operates as an exemplary employer. SWAG also supports the Scottish Government in the development and implementation of employment policy and practice for NHSScotland.

Negotiation of terms and conditions is taken forward separately through the Scottish Terms and Conditions Committee (STAC).

Partnership Working Publications

Towards a New Way of Working (MEL (1999)59) 

Partnership: Delivering the Future (October 2005)