A national programme of engagement will take place over the next year to help inform the Scottish government's plans for health and social care reform.

Through a series of direct engagements with the workforce, service leaders, royal colleges, third sector groups and the people of Scotland, the Scottish government will collect views on how best to transform services to meet changing demands.

This is alongside work already being carried out through the Scottish Partnership Forum to gather views from NHS staff.

Health secretary Neil Gray announced the plans as he outlined to Parliament the Scottish government’s overarching vision for NHS reform which focuses on key areas including; improving population health, prevention and early intervention, providing quality services and maximising access.

He also confirmed that, as part of on-going work to improve population health, five Scottish institutions will share £5 million of funding to conduct major research programmes.

This includes research into improving rural healthcare, managing gestational diabetes in pregnant women and informing how unscheduled care services might better meet people’s needs.

Gray said: “Scotland’s NHS is an institution of national pride and the principles of a health service free at the point of need, must always be protected.

“Significant transformation to how our health services operate has never been more urgent and our vision for reform focusses on changes within current NHS structures to deliver for Scotland."

Five institutions will share the funding of £5 million to conduct research programmes with a high level of impact to address important Scottish population health and NHS challenges with up to £1 million available per programme.