The general election in 2015 will come at a pivotal time for health and social care. An unprecedented funding squeeze has left the NHS on the brink of financial crisis, while reductions in local government funding have led to significant cuts in social care services.
The next government must ensure that the focus on improving quality of care established in the wake of the Francis report is sustained. It will also need to set in train a transformation of services to meet the needs of patients more effectively. Looking further ahead, the big question is how to provide adequate funding to meet future demand for health and social care.
It is essential that politicians are honest with the public about the scale of these challenges. The stakes are high – without a clear mandate for change, the next government may find itself helpless to address them.
Our view of the challenges and priorities
We set out here our view of the key challenges and priorities for the next government:
Meeting the financial challenge
Transforming services for patients
Improving quality of care
A new approach to NHS reform
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