Lavanya Rangarajan
Policy Manager, Policy Connect
‘The NHS is in serious trouble,’ is how Lord Darzi began his letter to the Secretary of State, Wes Streeting, following a review of the health service.
These pressing words underline the importance of a 10-Year Health Plan for the NHS – encapsulated in three proposed shifts designed to make the NHS ‘fit for the future.’
Three interconnected shifts
Shifting care from hospitals to communities, moving from analogue to digital systems and prioritising prevention over treatment are interconnected responses to the fundamental challenges the NHS faces today. Yet, delivering on them is no simple feat. Stakeholders from across the healthcare system have highlighted both the opportunities and the practical difficulties involved in each of these changes.
To truly realise the ambition of the 10-year plan, a joined-up approach is essential. That means recognising the vital role of social care workers within community healthcare frameworks and including exercise training and physical activity as core elements of a shift from sickness to prevention.
Wider voices for inclusive reform
The design of community-based systems should not only involve policymakers and clinicians but also representatives from marginalised and vulnerable groups. Allied healthcare professionals — including community pharmacies, fitness and wellbeing services and biomedical scientists — must also be part of the conversation. These stakeholders are already essential to the delivery of healthcare services and must be leveraged in any credible reform.
All government departments should
develop policies that promote public health.
Prevention requires cross-sector action
The shift towards prevention encompasses a broad range of factors that influence our health and wellbeing: from access to healthy homes and clean air to the ability to look after our physical health through fitness and movement.
However, prevention cannot be the sole responsibility of health workers. All government departments should develop policies that promote public health. That means everyone from environmental health officers to fitness coaches should have a role in shaping how prevention is delivered in our communities.
Integration is needed to solve digital NHS lag
Finally, when it comes to digitising the NHS, we are far behind where we need to be. Experts and stakeholders agree: digital transformation is a pressing priority, but to deliver this, we need interoperable IT systems that enable truly integrated care.
For this, the burden of data sharing cannot fall on healthcare professionals alone. Patients must be well-informed about the value of health data; research and innovation should be fostered; and improving patient outcomes must underscore all policy decisions.
