With a financial crisis in the NHS looming in 2015/16, John Appleby looks at the financial pressures currently facing the health system, how local organisations are coping, and how the funding gap could be met in future.
More on NHS productivity
- Read the report: The NHS productivity challenge
- See Chris Ham's blog: Wanted: an even Better Care Fund
- Listen to more talks from the event: Financial pressures on the NHS
- Catch up with our latest quarterly monitoring report findings
- See our commentary and analysis on productivity and finance
Comments
We should go hell for leather to transfer care into people's homes thus shifting the cost of accomodation and 24 hr staffing onto the patient and their kin folk.
The capital cost and fixed cost savings at the hospital will more than compensate the additional cost in primary care. In reality hospitals will shrink in bed numbers. Oddly enough the citizenry say they want to be treated at home if at all possible. Sounds like a win win to me!
To achive this level of shift we will need to use technology e.g. body worn monitors and AAL equipment etc.
Fortunately the tech cupboard is full of kit we can use and rely on from a safety / efficacy point of view. The only problem we have is lack of experience in using the technology - too many people of a certain age are in charge of the system may be?
Money saved can be reinvested into demand reduction facilities. Stopping and or delaying people getting sick or acquiring long term conditions is the only show in town in my opinion if we want:
A. Happy healthy citizens who can enjoy an active health ageing process and work for longer.
B. Reduce the size of the Health and Social care realestate and if we are really lucky the H&S care labour force.
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