Commenting on the autumn statement outlining government plans to commit an extra £3.3bn to the NHS in each of the next two financial years, Mark England, CEO of HN said:
“It’s positive to see the Government’s commitment to spending on NHS services and specifically targeting an approach to reduce the number of beds taken up by those unnecessarily in hospital. However, it’s clear that restoring NHS services will require a commitment to fixing longer-term problems across the health and care system, and a more preventative approach. We need to look at population health in terms of anticipatory care and focus on models and pathways which can prevent people from unplanned care whether in primary care or in hospital. These care models needs to work for local places, not a one-sized fits all approach. Data has a key role to play in being able to highlight those people with rising risks, and to show which patients could benefit from more proactive support. This is critical for re-deploying very finite resources for proactive care.
The Government has rightly focused on workforce but if we empower patients to take ownership of their own health we can reduce the strain on the system. This boils down to delivering personalised health and care services to the right people, at the right time. It’s time to focus on prevention-based healthcare to ensure services are being used effectively, and to empower patients to become effective self-managers. If we don’t act to move to a more predictive and preventative NHS, then rather like climate change inaction, the future problems tomorrow will continue to grow ever more challenging."