R7 Response Accepted AI-assessed

Reorganisation due diligence

Recommendation

In any major structural reorganisation in the NHS in Scotland a due diligence process including risk assessment, should be undertaken by the Board or Boards responsible.

Published Evidence Summary
The following publicly available evidence relates to this recommendation:
According to the Scottish Government response, 18 June 2015, the Scottish Government's response indicated that due diligence requirements for NHS reorganisations are addressed through existing governance frameworks, including the 'Governance for Quality Healthcare in Scotland - an Agreement' and the Code of Corporate Governance for NHS Scotland. According to the available evidence, these frameworks provide an overarching structure for NHS board governance. No further specific legislative or policy changes mandating a new due diligence process for major structural reorganisations have been publicly identified since 2015.
How was this assessed?
Assessed by gemini-2.5-flash on 19 Mar 2026
Checked data held on this site (government responses, progress updates, independent evidence)
External sources searched: www.gov.uk, www.gov.scot, www.legislation.gov.uk, hansard.parliament.uk
Jurisdiction
Scotland
Response
Accepted
Accepted Scottish Government
18 Jun 2015

Section 2.2 of the Scottish Government's response describes the 'Governance for Quality Healthcare in Scotland - an Agreement' and a 'clinical and care governance framework for integrated health and social care services' to ensure good governance arrangements underpin service delivery. These frameworks provide an overarching national structure for how NHS boards are structured and governed. However, the text does not explicitly state that a due diligence process, including risk assessment, is mandated for major structural reorganisations in the NHS.

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Published Evidence

Published assessments of implementation progress from inspectorates, select committees, official progress reports, and other sources. Check the source type badge to see whether each assessment is independent or government self-reported.

Reasonable Progress
18 Jun 2015
Scottish Government Other

Scottish Government response noted that due diligence requirements for NHS reorganisations are addressed through existing governance frameworks and the Code of Corporate Governance for NHS Scotland.

View detailed findings

Due diligence processes including risk assessment are part of standard NHS governance arrangements but not mandated by specific legislation following the inquiry.

Scottish Government Response to Vale of Leven Inq… View Source
Source
Report The Vale of Leven Hospital Inquiry Report 24 Nov 2014
Responsible Bodies
NHS Health Boards (Scotland) Primary
Recommendation age 11.3 yrs
Last formal update 3932 days ago