The plan strikes the right balance between recovering short-term performance and long-term transformation, recognising that the existing model of providing services is no longer sustainable. The NHS is supported to make long-term investment decisions which balance the need to transform, deliver high quality services and achieve appropriate productivity and efficiency gains.
Measures:
- There is a clear blueprint for how the NHS will transform, with a well worked through and robust implementation plan that includes appropriate investment and allows for double running. This takes proper account of frontline capacity and capability to drive transformation given current workforce and operational delivery pressures.
- The transformation plan takes full account of what has been learnt from the new care models programme, and the value of quality improvement programmes, and sets out a clear path to implement this learning at pace and scale. This includes ensuring the co-ordinated support of the arm's-length bodies, and ensuring local systems have the permission to 'fail fast and learn faster'. The plan also needs to recognise how investing in different ways of sharing learning, building networks and bringing people together were critical to the success of the new care model
- Planning and financial frameworks support the NHS to make long-term investment decisions.
- The plan includes recognition that achieving further productivity and efficiency increases will come from investment in long-term improvement, and that further increases are not possible from unsustainable non-recurrent sources or salami slicing.
- Demand for services is managed, through patients and service users accessing the NHS at the most appropriate time and place for their needs, and through an emphasis on prevention and providing care upstream through joined up primary, community and social care services.
- Investment in technology is ambitious and fully funded, recognising that although it is not an end in itself, technology offers significant potential for the NHS to do more – across improving patient care and outcomes, productivity and efficiency.