Sue Gaffney’s Post

🏥 UK Government Launches Groundbreaking Initiative To Transform NHS: A 10-Year Vision For Community-Based, Digital And Preventative Healthcare 🏥 The UK government has launched the most extensive national conversation about the NHS since its creation, inviting the public, NHS staff and health experts to contribute their ideas on shaping its future. Through an online platform - change.nhs.UK - available until early 2025, participants can share their views on what needs improvement and how to address current challenges. This feedback will be crucial in shaping the government’s 10-Year Health Plan, set to be published in spring 2025. The plan will centre on three major shifts in healthcare: moving care from hospitals to communities, transitioning from analogue to digital systems, and shifting the focus from treating illness to preventing it. Find out more and have you say on the future of the NHS here – https://lnkd.in/gTN6WkX4 #NHS #NHSConsultation #ChangeNHS #Healthcare #HealthConditionsOfDisability #DisabledPatients #UKPolitics #UKGovernment #HaveYourSay

The NHS is still alive, but we should all be concerned... Here's hoping that we're not just getting a diagnosis, but a prognosis. We'd all like to know the direction of travel and when the NHS will be in better health. Lord Darzi's report, released today, has made it clear that for Patients, access to services has been more challenging and got worse over the past 10-15 years. Trouble with accessing basically every service the NHS should be offering and improving. It's also shown that the 2012 Act has caused an endless reconfiguration of the NHS, which has distracted management from focussing on productivity and delivery of core services. For the workforce, who genuinely care about their patients, they've just seen everything around them crumble due to lack of capital investment, waiting lists grow due to massive shifts in workforce, so the growth in hospital based staff has just about coped with the additional demands of increase complexity, increased long term health challenges and significant increases in the number of children and young people needed acute care. There's been significant growth of regulators (many many more per hospital than there used to be), but reductions in community healthcare staffing which is the only enabler of flow out of hospitals which makes the capacity to care for the most acutely unwell possible. What does all this mean? Well - the report is light on policy recommendations because it was explicitly restricted from making them - but hopefully it means that the government will acknowledge what has been talked about for a very long time by everyone in health and care services, which is significant investment in care at home, out of the hospital and sorting out the desperate shortage of capital investment in both technology and buildings. #nhs #dhsc #lorddarzi #nhsengland #workforce #health #socialcare #primarycare https://lnkd.in/eDrp9Q9v

Some lessons here for Canada and Alberta….

1, 2, 3 Go for the NHS - a plan. My plan based on 40+ years in research, 25 in health and 50+ years as a user of NHS limbs. I propose a national set of projects to beat waiting, while generating learning and budget for wider reform. https://lnkd.in/eBnSf_Bu #Healthcareinnovation

https://lnkd.in/ewkpVsji The ME Association is one of 15 organisations that continues to support the #ThereForME initiative, a patient-and carer-led campaign that calls for an NHS that’s there for people with ME and Long Covid.  In August of this year, we were pleased the new Labour government stated that they are committed to publishing the Department of Health and Social Care Delivery Plan on ME/CFS. The dissemination of the information, including recommendations for research, could be seen as one of the first steps towards transforming health and social care. However, as highlighted in this article the issues patients face need to be addressed, and further action and commitment from the government at the highest level is urgently required for healthcare reform. #mecfs #nhs #longcovid

Darzi Report conclusions: the NHS is in a ‘critical condition’ but can be saved, with increased general practice funding and ‘fundamental strategic shift’ required. 3 priorities: 📌 Technology - increased use of 📌 Community Care - shift from hospital 📌 Prevention (is better than cure) The report argued that ‘care should be delivered in the community’, closer to where people live and work, and that hospitals ‘should be reserved for specialist care’. It said that there must be ‘a shift’ in the distribution of resources towards community-based primary care services. It added: ‘It builds on the fact that general practice is how most people commonly interact with the health service and GPs’ expertise as generalists. ‘Indeed, research by the NHS Confederation has demonstrated that spending in primary and community settings had a superior return on investment when compared with acute hospital services. ‘It therefore makes sense that this should be the fundamental strategic shift that the NHS aspires to make.’ #GeneralPractice #Health 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ehx2nrCZ

🌍 UK Government Launches UniqueNational Conversation to Help Shape the Future of the NHS It is calling on the entire nation to share their experiences and ideas to help improve our National Health Service (NHS). This initiative invites NHS staff, clinicians, and the public to contribute to shaping the government’s “10 Year Health Plan.” The NHS is one of the largest employers in the world, with over 1.3 million staff. Its annual budget of around £180 billion makes it larger than the economies of some countries, such as Greece or New Zealand. With such a significant role in our society, this conversation is crucial for everyone—not just those working in healthcare. I believe this is an important and valuable opportunity for everyone—from patients to professionals—to help shape the future of this vital institution. 💬 Whether you’ve benefited from NHS services or have ideas on how they can be improved, your voice is crucial in shaping a better health service for all. You can share your views by visiting change.nhs.uk or using the NHS App until the start of next year. The NHS touches all of our lives in one way or another, and it’s in all our interests to ensure it remains strong, innovative, and able to provide world-class care for generations to come. Your input matters! 🔗 Contribute your ideas today: change.nhs.uk #NHS #Healthcare #UKHealth #10YearHealthPlan #PublicConsultation #HealthInnovation #HealthPolicy #TeleHealth #FutureOfHealthcare #PatientCare #NHSStaff #HealthReform #UKGovernment #NationalHealth #HealthSystem #YourNHSYourSay #Innovation #Clinics

📝 The good, the tough and the urgent: Key takeaways from Lord Darzi's report on the NHS 🏥 The Independent Investigation of the NHS in England by Lord Darzi is a mix of hope and hard truths. As someone working closely with and passionate about our healthcare systems, I found it a sobering yet motivating read. What struck me most wasn't just the call for "quality of care" or "data-driven decisions" (though these are essential) — it was the recognition that real change comes with listening to the people who live and breathe healthcare every day: our staff. Some of my key takeaways: 🌟 The good: • Frontline staff as change agents: It’s clear—the people working at the coalface of healthcare are the key to improvement. The report recognises the need for staff to be more engaged in decision-making. • Data-driven insights: Technology and real-time data are set to play a massive role in reshaping the NHS. 🚨 The tough: • Quality of care is suffering: Quality of care needs to be re-established as the NHS's organising principle. Staff burnout, long waiting times, and inconsistent patient experiences show that there's a long way to go. This isn't a quick fix, but it's the necessary focus. • Workforce pressures: With staff shortages and morale at an all-time low, the NHS faces an uphill battle. Engaging staff in meaningful ways has never been more crucial. 🔍 The Urgent: • Sustainable funding & long-term planning: The report makes it clear—without sustainable funding and strategic resource management, short-term fixes won’t cut it. Innovation and investment must go hand in hand to ensure the NHS isn’t just surviving but thriving. There’s no denying the enormity of the task ahead, but with frontline-driven change, data-led decisions, and a focus on quality, there’s a path forward. At ImproveWell, we’re excited to continue playing our part in supporting healthcare teams as they tackle these challenges head-on. https://lnkd.in/eDrp9Q9v #NHSReform #EmpoweredHealthcare #ImproveWell #HealthcareChallenges #FrontlineInnovation #DarziReport

Is maintaining dignity and dependence a balancing act in healthcare systems worldwide? This article by Catherine White shared a very human story against the backdrop of the UK's National Healthcare System's (NHS) challenges. Amidst stories of stretched resources, staff shortages, and outdated facilities, it highlighted personal moments and subtle acts of resilience within a Northern London hospital. It's a reminder of the strength found in the small moments and the complexity of navigating healthcare needs with dignity. Read more here: #Healthcare #NHS #PatientCare