Government pledges ‘new era’ for NHS
pharmafile | March 11, 2015 | News story | Research and Development, Sales and Marketing | NHS, Simon Stevens, five year, reform, reorganisation, vanguard
The government is investing £200 million to back healthcare professionals to implement their own ideas for improving patient care.
The transformation fund, which was first mooted in Simon Stevens’ Five Year Forward View for the NHS in October, will create 29 ‘vanguard’ sites across England.
The sites will launch in April and will be areas where nurses, GPs and hospital doctors can implement ideas they pitched to the NHS of ways to better integrate care: joining up GP, hospital, community and mental health services; moving specialist care out of hospitals into the community; and offering older people better services.
Some 269 groups of nurses, doctors and other health and social care staff from across the country put forward their ideas for how they want to redesign care in their areas, and then helped choose the first 29 of the most innovative plans as the vanguard sites.
NHS England says that “each vanguard site will take a lead on the development new care models” and “will act as the blue prints for the NHS moving forward and the inspiration to the rest of the health and care system”.
In a statement it adds: “Through the programme, complete redesign of whole health and care systems are being considered. This could mean fewer trips to hospitals with cancer and dementia specialists holding clinics in local surgeries, having one point of call for family doctors, community nurses, social and mental health services, or access to blood tests, dialysis or even chemotherapy closer to home.”
Simon Stevens, the chief executive of NHS England, says the scheme was the beginning of a new ‘long term plan’ for the NHS – but denied it was another service reorganisation.
“Instead of the usual top-down administrative tinkering, we’re backing radical care redesign by frontline nurses, doctors and other staff – in partnership with their patients and local communities. From Wakefield to Whitstable, and Yeovil to Harrogate, we’re going to see distinctive solutions to shared challenges, which the whole of the NHS will be able to learn from.”
Dr Amanda Doyle and Dr Steve Kell, co-chairs of NHS Clinical Commissioners say: “The announcement of the vanguard sites today showcases some truly innovative plans that look to change the models of care and improve outcomes for patients, not just changing organisational structures and models.
“What these successful bids highlight is the difference that strong clinical leadership, with provider and commissioners working together, can bring to the crucial work of transforming the NHS to ensure we deliver the best care possible for our patients and local populations.”
Lilian Anekwe
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