Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, key workers across health, social care, the voluntary sector and local communities have shown their incredible ability to tackle a crisis. This took a monumental effort from frontline staff and there were many examples of smarter working and closer collaboration across health and care systems – examples further proving the value that can be derived from integrated care systems.
Now, the Government’s health and social care White Paper, Integration and innovation: working together to improve health and social care for all, has outlined ambitions to build on the NHS Long Term Plan by embedding the depth of collaboration and innovation seen through the pandemic. The aim is to shape a system that’s better able to serve patients, staff and populations in a fast-changing world.
As well as addressing the specific focus areas of the White Paper – such as developing place-based partnerships and increasing collaboration across acute providers – we see three foundational principles all system stakeholders should adopt to capture the ingenuity seen during the pandemic and build a positive human future for patients, staff and populations:
Focus on purpose first
Looking beyond statutory and governance requirements to set out how change will advance the goal of improving outcomes for local populations and patients.
Create an empowered culture
Empowering teams to shape new ways of working that go far beyond following the national guidance.
Embrace agility
Supporting the speed and flexibility of the new ways of working experienced during the pandemic.
While structural and legislative reform across the NHS will be challenging, we believe these changes present extraordinary opportunities. Read on to explore how health and care leaders can build a system that’s more collaborative, innovative and responsive, and that harnesses the best of modern technology.
During the pandemic, the adoption of digital technology and the integration of richer data moved at an unprecedented pace, with clear benefits for patients and staff. This will continue to be fundamental to enabling healthcare organisations to work together. Whether it’s setting up the digital infrastructure that allows for the safe and effortless sharing of patient data, defining system-level strategic priorities and developing operational models, or empowering staff and clinicians with the tools and information to make decisions, innovative technology and robust data pools will improve patient care and staff experiences.
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