WGPlus (Archive)

Cautious welcome, with warning of potential issues

Responding to NHS England’s Next steps on the five year forward view, Chris Ham, Chief Executive of The King’s Fund, said: ‘We welcome the fact that this plan sets a clear course for the NHS over the next couple of years. We should, though, be under no illusions about how tough the going will be.

Hospitals are now under pressure all year round and so the ambition to improve A&E performance and other key services within the current budget is extremely ambitious.  Putting the onus on the NHS and local authorities to work together to improve social care and free up hospital beds is the right approach.  But with growing pressures on both services, expecting 2,000 to 3,000 hospital beds to be freed up is optimistic.

‘We strongly support the plan’s aim to “make the biggest national move towards integrated care of any major western country”.  This should be done across England rather than being limited to a small number of areas.  NHS England and its partners need to be bolder in supporting NHS organisations and their partners to put in place the population-based health systems which offer the best hope of delivering better outcomes and improving efficiency’.   …… ‘. With almost no growth in the NHS budget from next year, the government will need to revisit the NHS funding settlement to deliver the commitments set out in this plan’.

Researched Links:

Kings Fund:  Welcoming NHS England’s Next steps on the Five Year Forward View

The Patients Association welcomes Next Steps on the NHS 5 Year Forward View

LGA responds to NHS delivery plan

NHS Confed.:  We believe the independent sector has a key role in commitments within the NHS England delivery plan

NHS England:  Next steps on the NHS 5 Year Forward View: NHS sets out action to deliver NHS care fit for the future

NHS 5 Year Forward View: NHS England takes next steps towards the future of primary care

NHS England:  England’s Chief Nurse announces ‘Nurse First’ to attract the best & brightest graduates to nursing

NHS action to prevent, diagnose & treat cancer means 5,000 more lives to be saved within two years

NHS acts to cut inappropriate out of area placements for children & young people in mental health crisis

Next steps on the Five Year Forward View: New parents in London to benefit from online Redbook

NHS England:  Principia vanguard reduces A&E attendances by 29% for care home residents

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