Market Facilitation Plan 2026
Update - June 2026
The AHSCP Market Facilitation Plan was approved by the Aberdeenshire Integration Joint Board at its meeting on 27 May 2026. Please view the report at item 10.
A formal review of the plan will be undertaken every three years to support us to adapt to evolving needs and to ensure continued alignment with the AHSCP’s Medium Term Finance Strategy and Strategic Delivery Plan.
Supporting the Market Facilitation Plan, detailed Market Position Statements will be produced to provide more specific and comprehensive information for identified areas of service provision under the AHSCP’s responsibility. The Market Position Statement for Older People’s Care Homes and Very Sheltered Housing is currently in development, and further information will be shared via this page in the coming months.
Our Market Facilitation Plan
The Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership (AHSCP) has set out its strategic vision and priorities in its Strategic Plan for 2025-2035. This Market Facilitation Plan is a key accompanying document to the Strategic Plan. Its aim is to provide clarity as to the AHSCP’s commissioning objectives for the next 3 years, and to guide collaboration with independent and third sector providers, recognising the importance of their role as key partners in delivering high-quality, sustainable services for people within Aberdeenshire.
This plan sits alongside the AHSCP’s Medium-Term Finance Strategy, Strategic Delivery Plan and Workforce Plan, each of which are integral to realising the AHSCP’s strategic priorities and recognise the various sustainability and redesign challenges facing the health and social care system.
Market Facilitation and Commissioning
Market facilitation involves all partners working together to ensure that there is a sufficient and appropriate range of provision to meet the needs of our communities. This Market Facilitation Plan acknowledges the AHSCP’s dual role as both provider and commissioner.
The AHSCP, under the governance of the Aberdeenshire Integration Joint Board (IJB), is responsible for the provision of a wide and complex range of community-based health and social care services. Some of these services are directly managed and delivered in-house by AHSCP teams, whilst others may be commissioned or procured from external providers and organisations, supporting the strategic planning and delivery of health and social care services to best meet the needs of our population
Consultation on the Draft Market Facilitation Plan
We undertook a short consultation in early May 2026 to encourage feedback on our commissioning principles – how we intend to work with the market – and our key commissioning activities and objectives for the next 3 years. The feedback will help us shape and inform how we work together. The final draft plan was considered at the May 2026 IJB meeting and can be viewed at the link near the top of the page.
