What are the barriers to unlocking the prevention agenda in ICS’?
In this month’s edition of the Clarity Digest, we are looking at shifting from treatment to prevention which is one of the three major shifts the new government wants to achieve, along with moving to care closer to home and towards digitisation.
We explore findings from NHS Confed’s “Unlocking prevention in Integrated Care Systems (ICS)” report, which delves into what role ICS’ can play in unlocking the prevention agenda by overcoming persistent barriers to prevention and uncovering best practice that exists across the country.
Key Findings
The report highlights why a shift in thinking around prevention is required. The Hewitt review and the Darzi report have highlighted a shared agreement on the need for a fundamental shift in the model of health and care, from treating ill health to preventing it in the first place. Despite a consensus that prevention can improve health outcomes and make the health and care system sustainable, there is no national framework such as NHS England’s Core20PLUS5 approach to reducing health inequalities.
The Digest summarises why prevention is difficult to secure. A key factor is the difficulty in balancing short- and long-term priorities. Maintaining focus on an ICS long-term preventive agenda is difficult for leaders due to the pressing need to address short-term pressures. The current chronic and acute financial challenges make it hard to present a case for health investment. The shift to integrating the prevention agenda is slowed down by challenges around collaboration and integration due to traditional silos and divisions of resources and responsibilities.
Addressing the barriers which make implementing a prevention agenda in ICS difficult requires multi-dimensional measures. The Digest summarises recommendations made in NHS Confed’s report which identifies areas for immediate action.
Additional Resources
We also feature a curated list of recent publications and podcasts covering a wide range of health and care topics, from leadership to productivity and performance. These resources provide valuable insights into the current landscape of health and social care, helping leaders in the sector stay informed and engaged.
For more in-depth analysis and detailed recommendations click here.
