The THCS General Assembly convened on October 30, 2024, in Edinburgh, Scotland. Organized by the Scottish National Health System, THCS member and leader of WP10, the meeting offered a valuable opportunity to reaffirm THCS’s commitment to innovative, inclusive, and collaborative approaches to tackling healthcare challenges.
The event commenced with a presentation by Alistair Hodgson from the Scottish Government, who outlined Scotland’s pioneering health and care initiatives. These include leveraging virtual wards and AI-driven preventive measures to reduce hospital pressures and improve community-based care. Hodgson’s insights aligned with THCS’s broader goals, sparking discussions on integrating such innovations into the Partnership’s strategic framework.
Following this, Johan Van Eldere of the European Union Health Alliance (EUHA) presented a position paper advocating for reduced hospital dependency and the development of an integrated continuum of care spanning primary to community levels. The Advisory Board strongly supported this vision, recognizing its alignment with THCS’s long-term objectives for systemic health reforms.
The agenda also addressed internal matters, such as amendments, onboarding new partners, procedural updates to streamline operations, and the main takeaways from the EC review held last September.
After this, THCS Work Packages provided updates on their progress and plans for the future year:
- WP3 highlighted the success of the “Synergies for Integrated Care” event and preparations for the upcoming Annual Conference in November 2024 in Brussels.
- WP4 focused on the transferability of strategic models, emphasizing the need to address national disparities in research capacity.
- WP5 detailed efforts to enhance dialogue with policymakers and strengthen their involvement in shaping impactful health policies.
- WP6 provided updates on JTC2025, featuring a €30 million budget and participation from 32 funders.
- WP7 presented outcomes from JTC2024, which focused on personalized prevention. Widening participation strategies for underrepresented countries were also discussed.
- WP8 showcased progress on developing a new monitoring tool to assess project impact, with a pilot phase scheduled for 2025.
- WP9 focused on ecosystem initiatives, highlighting the importance of cross-functional collaboration and regional inclusion.
- WP10 reported on the ongoing development of the Knowledge Hub, emphasizing long-term sustainability and improved user engagement.
Closing the meeting, the Coordinating Team presented its roadmap for 2026, with plans for in-person meetings scheduled for February, June, and November. These gatherings will foster deeper collaboration and strengthen the partnerships, ensuring alignment with THCS’s overarching mission of transforming health and care systems.