NHS Assembly report reveals the importance of tech in helping people manage their health at home
A post-pandemic drive to help people stay well, greater use of technology to put power into the hands of patients and treating people closer to home should be at the heart of NHS plans, according to a report by the NHS Assembly.
The report draws on the feedback of thousands of people who have contributed to a rapid process of engagement with patients, staff and partners. It aims to help the NHS, nationally and locally, plan how to respond to long term opportunities and challenges. It sets out what is most valuable about the NHS, what most needs to change, and what is needed for the NHS to continue fulfilling its fundamental mission in a new context.
The NHS Assembly consulted staff, patient groups, carers, charities, and partners in health and social care for the report launched ahead of the 75th anniversary of the health service on 5 July.
Analysis found that the NHS should now focus on three key areas: preventing poor health, creating more personalised care that better responds to patients views and coordinated care closer to home, including by strengthening general practice.
The creation of Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) allows the NHS to work with other bodies to find people at risk of conditions such as heart disease and tackle major causes of poor heath including obesity and smoking.
ICSs should also use new technology to help people manage their health so they can monitor their conditions, receive advice remotely through virtual wards and make appointments or change prescriptions via the NHS App.
In the report entitled, The NHS in England at 75: priorities for the future, the Assembly says the health service faces significant workforce and estates challenges, but it should be “emboldened by the resolve and agility it showed during the pandemic.”
Co-authored by Professor Dame Clare Gerada and Professor Sir Chris Ham, the analysis notes the demands on the health service are far greater now than when the NHS was founded with almost 3.5 million more people aged over 75 compared to 1948.
The report summarises more than 700 responses from health organisations and patient groups who reveal extensive support for the NHS being free at the point of delivery and note its success at landing deals which give patients access to the latest treatments at a fair price.
Professor Dame Clare Gerada, Co-Chair of the NHS Assembly, said: “This document gives permission to Integrated Care System to carry on the fantastic work they are already doing, and that means evolving primary and community care to deliver patient care closer to home.
“This visionary document based on the views of people across health and social care sets out three key aims for the sector – preventing people from getting ill, creating more personalised care and delivering this care closer to people’s home.”
Respondents to the engagement were immensely proud of NHS staff and its resilience but recognised the need to improve staff retention, reduce vacancies and provide better support to unpaid carers and social care.
It also noted that there was a greater need for prevention of ill health through wider societal change that falls outside of the NHS remit with the Assembly noting that 80 per cent of health outcomes are determined by other factors such as incoming, housing, education and employment.
The report calls for capital investment and a long-term infrastructure plan to tackle backlog maintenance and modernise primary care where a third of the estate was built before the NHS was founded.
The NHS Assembly document given to NHS England is an important contribution to help the NHS, nationally and locally, plan how to respond to long term opportunities and challenges.
NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said: “I am hugely grateful to the NHS Assembly for this important piece of work ahead of our milestone 75th anniversary.
“After some of the most challenging years in NHS history, I know how energising many colleagues have found having the chance to think about opportunities to improve health and care for the future.
“And by taking into account such a wide range of views from our patients, staff and partners, this report will help to build on the progress already made, both locally and nationally, for years to come.”
Dr Habib Naqvi, NHS Assembly member and Chief Executive, NHS Race and Health Observatory said: “The NHS Assembly has overseen critical work to build a consensus view by bringing together broad contributions to help the NHS grasp opportunities and tackle challenges to meet the needs of our diverse patients, communities, and the workforce.
“This is only the start of the conversation – it is essential that tackling health inequalities is prioritised, and the NHS continues to draw on the important insights gained from the Assembly’s NHS@75 engagement work.”
Polling data from Ipsos and the Health Foundation shows that despite the NHS making people most proud to be British, the public are worried about its future.
