16 December 2011

National Summit Calls for Co-production for Health - A New Model for Health & Wellbeing in a Radically New World

Creating a new co-production model is seen as the best way to delivering better health and wellbeing outcomes at the local level in the context of budget constraint - according to a new report (www.sph.nhs.uk/lgcolloquiumreport).

The new model calls for organisations to abandon a silo approach to service delivery based on individual funding streams. Instead organisations must focus on a shared population approach which reflects all interests and assets, and delivers collective health benefit within reduced resources. Organisations can use the transition now to establish the building blocks for this – with Local Government at the heart of orchestrating partnerships.

The NHS Alliance, NHS Solutions for Public Health, Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, Association of Directors of Public Health, and Association of Directors of Adult Social Services have published the findings from a national summit exploring how organisations can start to positively use the new arrangements for public health and commissioning to reduce health inequalities.

The report states that whilst there is still much unknown about the future interfaces between new structures at the local level, enough is known to start the ground work.

David Kidney, Head of Policy at Chartered Institute of Environmental Health points out that, “The step change we need in public health delivery will only happen if we do it together and if it is linked to a social justice agenda. Individual organisational budgets will be insufficient to make a difference. We need to add the public health ring-fenced budget to what NHS and local government are already doing, drawing in outside organisations, to blend resource use to improve health outcomes.”

Key findings:

  • Use the transition to start to develop a new co-production model for health and Wellbeing
  • The model will fail without elected members’ understanding and buy-in – they need to be at the helm
  • Establish focused, agreed priorities which have meaningful outcomes for all partners
  • Put in place a mechanism and infrastructure to ensure effective delivery
  • Use intelligence dynamically, creatively and succinctly and in relevant forms for different audiences
  • Promote an asset based approach to communities to understand and harness their assets and resource
  • The public health workforce has to change – a new business model needs adopting that is pragmatic, practical and delivers solutions to commissioners and providers
  • Build public health capacity across a whole range of workforces to deliver interventions at industrial scale

Dr Alison Hill, Managing Director at Solutions for Public Health (NHS) said: “There are huge opportunities for local government and partners in taking forward this agenda. We know enough now to implement a co-production model to improve health and reduce health inequalities. Act now.”

Professor Chris Drinkwater, President of the NHS Alliance, adds, “A key change is to move to a co-production model, building on local assets and empowering people to engage on health. The stakeholder approach in this model should be “how can I help you with your outcomes?” not just “how can you help me with my outcomes”. This will need a new style of facilitative leadership.”

The Local Government Colloquium report is available to download at http://www.sph.nhs.uk/lgcolloquiumreport

Notes

  1. About the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health – The CIEH is the professional voice for environmental health representing over 10,000 members working in the public, private and non-profit sectors. It ensures the highest standards of professional competence in its members, in the belief that through environmental health action people's health can be improved.www.cieh.org
  2. About the NHS Alliance – NHS Alliance brings together CCGs, PCTs, clinicians and managers as the leading organisation in primary care. We are an independent non-political membership organisation proud to be at the forefront of clinically-led commissioning. Its leaders are all dedicated professionals, who represent the Alliance’s diverse membership, working ceaselessly to meet the challenges facing the NHS today. www.nhsalliance.org
  3. About NHS Solutions for Public Health– SPHis a non-profit NHS public health organisation dedicated to better health and better value healthcare for all. SPH works with decision makers across public and third sectors to improve health and reduce health inequalities – helping clients provide the right services in the right place, for the right population, at the best cost and quality. www.sph.nhs.uk
  4. About the Association of Directors of Public Health(ADPH) is the representative body for Directors of Public Health (DPH) in the UK. It seeks to improve and protect the health of the population through DPH development, sharing good practice, and policy and advocacy programmes. www.adph.org.uk
  5. About the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) represents directors of adult social services in local authorities in England. www.adass.org.uk

More information about the Local Government Colloquium Report