Let us transform overall health and social care

‘Independence Day is about how the NHS and care systems can perform to reduce paying and, in parallel, improve patient expertise.’ Photograph: Insadco/Alamy

There is a broad consensus that the NHS needs to transform the way it delivers care to meet the challenge of an ageing and rising population. A better emphasis on prevention, support top quality and patient fulfillment is the prescription that most agree is necessary to make the NHS sustainable. The challenge now is to move from tips to delivery.

The second Independence Day forum, which is getting held in the Residence of Commons on Thursday – the initial was in November – supplies the possibility for a constructive debate about how we can provide a transformed overall health and social care program.

The wellness select committee just lately called for massive scale change to be produced to how care is offered, if we are to meet the demands of the UK’s ageing population at a time of elevated cost pressures. Sir David Nicholson, chief executive of NHS England, has pointed out that “the NHS has to adapt to survive”.

But the need to adjust and to integrate overall health and social care presents a huge conundrum for policymakers, provided that this kind of reforms remain “notoriously” controversial and unpopular with the public.

A capped budget for the NHS and pressures on social care investing, combined with a increasing ageing population, implies that the sectors need to both reduce the regular expense per patient or ration providers. We require to locate the “sweet spot” which improves health outcomes, top quality and patient fulfillment at a lower price. Independence Day is about how the NHS and care techniques can work to decrease paying and, in parallel, enhance patient knowledge.

Programs for hospital closures and even more integration are seldom welcomed by the public. The public’s connection with “my hospital” is very strong and not totally unreasonable, and hospital closure can come to feel like changing some thing with nothing at all.

This reaction to reform demonstrates the scale of the challenge ahead in terms of shifting attitudes and perceptions to new designs of care. Even when reforms would increase high quality and lessen threat they stay universally unpopular. It is clear that frequently what the public believe “great” health and social care look like can be really various from the actuality.

On the road to 2015, all political events will require to tackle this conundrum if there is going to be a seismic shift away from classic considering about how health and social care are delivered. The Independence Day hearing gives a forum to debate these crucial questions, seek out remedies and form opinion. Important gamers from the well being and social care sectors will meet in parliament to examine what “very good” or “much better” seems to be like for the public in terms of enhanced top quality in health and social care. It will also explore how to change the public’s mindset and appetite for alter to the NHS.

The hearing will be chaired by Victoria Macdonald, Channel 4′s well being and social care correspondent, and will consider evidence from authorities across the sector, this kind of as Alexandra Norrish, deputy director of NHS policy and approach at Department of Wellness, and Pam Creaven, director of providers at Age Uk.

The occasion will check out public perception of reforms and the reluctance to embrace modify in the sector. It will also aim to set up the scale of the job in terms of winning the argument for adjust.

The recommendations and findings from every hearing will be submitted to government and other men and women of influence in a report and national conference later this 12 months, with a view to assisting to shape long term contemplating and public attitudes on how wellness and social care are delivered.

Prof Phil Hope is a director of Enhancing Care and former minister for care solutions

Why not join our social care local community? Becoming a member of the Guardian Social Care Network indicates you get sent weekly e-mail updates on policy and ideal practice in the sector, as effectively as exclusive offers. You can indicator up – for free – on the internet here

Let us transform overall health and social care