The independent
NHS Future Forum, a group of the country’s top health experts, has
today published its interim advice on integrated care, patient
information and public health in a modern NHS, after listening to
thousands of NHS staff, patients and the public as well as
voluntary sector organisations.
The advice follows a request from the Prime Minister earlier this
year for the NHS Future Forum to continue its successful dialogue
and consider certain key themes with staff, patients and the public.
The interim advice and recommendations published today are aimed
at informing the 2012/13 NHS Operating Framework and the plans
around a new public health system.
The advice stresses that information about health and social care
services must be published in a transparent and usable form and
patients must have better access to health care records. It also
calls for a national partnership across the NHS and public health.
The final reports, which will also include recommendations on
education and training, will be published towards the end of the
year.
In his meeting with the NHS Future Forum yesterday, Health
Secretary Andrew Lansley said:
"It is clear that the approach taken by the NHS
Future Forum, both during the listening exercise and in its
current phase, has provided us with invaluable feedback and
insight from patients and NHS staff on what the NHS needs to do to
improve outcomes and put patients at the heart of everything it does.
“The interim advice and recommendations are very useful and
we will take them into consideration before we publish the 2012/13
NHS Operating Framework and further details about the new public
health system.
"This shows the importance of engaging with patients
and staff to ensure services are designed around patients. I look
forward to the Forum’s final report later in the year.”
Ends
Notes to editors
1. For more information, please contact the Department of Health
Newsdesk on 020 7210 5221
2. The interim advice can be found here: http://healthandcare.dh.gov.uk/ff-letter/
Contacts:
Department of Health
Phone: 020 7210 5221
NDS.DH@coi.gsi.gov.uk