Community Network: Community services must be at the heart of long term plan

18 July 2018

 

Responding to comments made by NHS England’s chief executive Simon Stevens in which he highlighted the unmet need and big efficiency opportunities in community services, Matthew Winn, chair of the Community Network, which is operated jointly by the NHS Confederation and NHS Providers, said:

“Community services must be at the heart of any long term plan for health and care.

We need to power up NHS community services to provide more of the care that people want – and we can rest assured this will take pressure off struggling hospitals too.

Matthew Winn    

“Patients should be at the centre of what we do and that means a greater emphasis on community services which can look after people in and near their own homes. We need to join up our provision around this principle. The emphasis on community services must also be developed in collaboration and conjunction with primary and social care.

“To do this requires a fundamental shift in emphasis, incentives and funding.  We need to power up NHS community services to provide more of the care that people want – and we can rest assured this will take pressure off struggling hospitals too.”