News
Leading health policy unit warns against too much NHS competition
18 June 2008
The forthcoming Darzi Review of the NHS must deliver more integrated
healthcare, according to a new report from leading health policy
academics at the Health Services Management Centre (HSMC), University of
Birmingham.
Lord Darzi’s Review, which is due to be published later this month,
is likely to include recommendations about developing integrated care in
the NHS. The report’s authors argue that it will be crucial to get the
balance right between competition and collaboration if the next stage of
NHS reform is to achieve real results.
The report sets out four different types of integration. These range
from incorporating GPs and other primary care professionals into primary
health care teams, to integration that involves primary and community
health care, hospital-based specialists and social care providers.
Chris Ham, Professor of Health Policy and Management and lead author
of the report, explains, "In recent years, too many NHS policies have
focused on tackling hospital waiting lists, and have done so by
encouraging different parts of the NHS to compete with each other.
"However, the biggest challenge facing the health service is how to
respond to the needs of people with multiple long-term conditions. If
the NHS is to do this successfully, it will need to find ways of
encouraging different healthcare organisations and professions to
collaborate — not to compete."
Altogether now? Policy options for integrated care, HSMC’s new
policy paper draws on research evidence and international experience in
order to make practical recommendations for improving primary and
community health services
Professor Jon Glasby adds: “Integration is about providing patients
with greater flexibility to join up their health and social care. The
biggest challenge for the health service is helping individuals manage
long-term conditions. This is something that the Darzi review needs to
address — potentially using some of the policy mechanisms like
individual budgets which we discuss. The international experience
strongly suggests that integrating health and social care is a powerful
tool in improving services for patients.”
|
