The Hewitt Review on Integrated Care Systems
As you may have seen the Government recently published its response to the Hewitt Review and the Health and Social Care Committee’s report on the autonomy and accountability of Integrated Care Systems. Most VCSE Infrastructure organisations are pleased to see recognition of prevention as being a continuing priority, but it’s disappointing there is still a lack of practical action identified to make this a reality.
The rejection of the recommendation to increase the proportion of spending on prevention to 1% per year is particularly frustrating. As NAVCA rightly state:
Members too often tell us, they are frustrated by limited opportunities to turn the hard work done to set up local alliances and the mechanisms for working as part of the VCSE’s structures, into real, tangible action. This, and the continued lack of clarity as to what should be considered as “prevention” is only likely to see these frustrations remain.
NAVCA recently attended the NHS Confederation Expo in Manchester, where they heard from the Health and Care Secretary, Steve Barclay, and Confed’s CEO, Matthew Taylor. They took very different approaches. Matthew’s speech apparently chimed with the position we hear from NAVCA members and colleagues in local government – that to address poor health outcomes and growing health inequalities, work on prevention and the wider determinants of health needs to be prioritised, embedded in all areas of government policy and cannot be seen as something the NHS will – or can – fix alone. In contrast, Steve Barclays speech focused on the role technology will play in addressing demand on the NHS.
Both spoke about the opportunities devolving more power from the centre and into ICSs will bring, and there was a commitment to continue this from the Secretary of State.
NAVCA are clearly seeing the impact of this move from a large central control in the changes that appear to be taking place within NHS England.
NAVCA will continue to engage with them as we all start to see more clearly what the changes mean for their work with the VCSE sector across al Integrated Care Systems which includes Northamptonshire.
Announcement:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-takes-action-to-strengthen-local-care-systems
Government response to the Health and Social Care Committee’s report and the Hewitt Review:
