The Scottish Government has published its Health and Social Care Winter Preparedness Plan 2024/25 which outlines strategies to address increased pressures on health and social care services during the winter.
The plan emphasises the importance of vaccination programmes to reduce serious illness, hospitalisation and mortality. This includes the continued delivery of winter vaccination programmes, including flu and COVID-19 vaccines, and introduction of a new Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccination programme for older adults aged 75-80, with a vaccination for pregnant women to protect infants from RSV.
The plan confirms that the Scottish Government is offering frontline health and social care workers Covid-19 vaccination this winter.
The plan prioritises care at home or as close to home as possible, where clinically appropriate, and contains a focus on supporting the wellbeing of the health and social care workforce.
The Homecare Association has produced updated Winter Planning Guidance and a checklist for members.
