Seventeenth Citizens’ Panel Report
The seventeenth Citizens’ Panel survey was carried out between December 2025 and February 2026.
The survey sought public views and experiences on planning for
healthcare services.
A total of 603 survey responses were received, equivalent to a response rate of 56%. This is sufficient to support robust analysis with overall results accurate to ± 3.8%. Key findings are summarised over the following pages. The body of this report sets out findings in more detail, and a profile of survey responses is appended.
Key findings
This report shows that people strongly want to be involved in the planning of healthcare services. This is particularly important at a time when new ways of planning services at a national and sub-national level are emerging. Findings from this report show the population wants to know where and when decisions are being made, what the impact of decisions will be on communities, and crucially how they can be involved in planning activities.
Awareness and involvement in service planning
Panel members were asked about their awareness of and involvement in planning of healthcare services. Key findings are summarised below.
- Around 1 in 7 respondents (13 %) were aware of planned changes to healthcare services that have or would affect them or their community
- Around a fifth of those who were aware of planned changes indicated that they were informed in advance, around 1 in 6 were asked for comments or feedback, and around 1 in 20 had been involved in discussions about planned changes
- Around 1 in 10 respondents (9 %) had been involved or had influenced the planning of healthcare services.
How healthcare services are planned
Panel members were asked where they think planning decisions for different healthcare services are currently made. Key findings are summarised below.
- Most thought that the following services are planned at the local board level: urgent and unscheduled care services (58 %), primary care services (53 %) and specialist services provided in the community (60 %)
- Most thought that specialist services are planned at a national level (56 %)
- Between a third and a half, thought that hospital services are planned at the local board (46 %), regional (40 %) or national (35 %) level.
In terms of how planning decisions are currently made, Panel members were most likely to think that healthcare services are planned and delivered by Health and Social Care Partnerships (51 %) or are planned nationally and delivered by local Health Boards (49 %).
Nearly all respondents (99 %) felt that it is important for planners to consider how planned healthcare service changes will affect patients, carers and families. A large majority felt that it is important that public and patients are involved in planning decisions about healthcare services, especially when a planning decision affects their community (87 %) or affects services in their area (83 %).
A large majority (95 %) were interested in planning decisions for healthcare services that are relevant to them. The most commonly preferred options to receive information about healthcare planning decisions were written summary (57 %), a poster or leaflet (53 %), media piece (46 %) or short video (41 %).
Recommendations
Based on these findings Healthcare Improvement Scotland makes the following recommendations to Healthcare Improvement Scotland, NHS Boards, Health and Social care Partnerships and national and sub-national bodies.
1.Use Citizens’ Panel findings to inform planning approaches
2.Improve public understanding of how planning decisions are made
3.Strengthen early and meaningful public involvement
4.Improve the accessibility and consistency of communication
5.Build understanding of how people want to contribute