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New health publication: What does the impact of Covid in social care mean for the NHS?

James Swaffield

Today we launch a new publication: What does the impact of Covid in social care mean for the NHS? 5 questions, 10 actions.

Over the last months we have been asking DASSs about their local experience of Covid, their reflections on what has worked well, what systems can learn, and the challenges and opportunities that now present themselves. The conversations were thought-provoking, especially for system partners. Having spent time analysing IMPOWER’s own experience of working across health and care over recent months, I wanted to outline the ‘so what’ for the NHS.

The 10 actions set out practical steps that support going beyond recovery through winter and into next year – to drive an inclusive vision for health and care systems:

  1. Assure the adult social care financial position is accurate in system models before the end of summer and reviewed through autumn.
  2. Ensure there is dedicated agenda time on key pressures for local government.
  3. Identify named neighbourhood change leads; encourage them to collate and share barriers to delivery.
  4.  Invest time in understanding the true baseline for local people plans.
  5. Support health and care colleagues to undertake case reviews so that the Covid-related change to demand is evidenced.
  6.  Ensure VCS representatives are present at discussions on the design of new models of care.
  7. Work with public health colleagues to ensure delivery is based on behavioural science.
  8. Set clear joint expectations of how colleagues will work and make decisions at an ICS level.
  9. Understand what is working, and what could work even better by having a named evidence lead.
  10. Build a bottom-up change plan, not a top-down one.

These actions sit under a broader checklist that is a quick tool to assess how well systems are partnering at the moment. Take 5 minutes and quickly self-assess.

Do join the conversation on Twitter or get in touch if you’d like a carry on the conversation.

Download the report

Written by

James Swaffield

Director & Head of Health, IMPOWER

IMPOWER INSIGHTS

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