16.10.18
London urged to improve ‘complex and cluttered’ health and care system
London must grasp the opportunity to improve healthcare for Londoners by updating the capital’s “complex and cluttered” system, a new report by The King’s Fund has found.
Commissioned by the mayor of London, the ‘Sustainability and transformation partnerships in London’ report has reviewed the health and care system in London and the progress made over the past five years by sustainability and transformation partnerships (STPs).
The independent report found that the capital’s complex and cluttered health and care system is hampering plans to improve Londoner’s health.
Despite finding evidence of improvements, the report says that the five STPs serving patients in boroughs and neighbourhoods of London are less advanced than those in other parts of England.
The partnerships have struggled to overcome the same problems associated with the nationwide introduction of STPs which was undermined by a lack of engagement with the public after they were labelled as a way to make cuts.
The report highlights London’s complex health care system which includes 36 trusts and foundation trusts, 32 CCGs, 33 borough councils, three academic health science networks, the London Health Board and 33 health and wellbeing boards in addition to the five STPs.
This complexity has created significant challenges for the STPs and the report calls for an urgent review to clarify the capital’s cluttered organisational landscape and “develop a clear and compelling vision” for the future of London healthcare.
It suggests that the upcoming appointment of a London regional director will provide an opportunity to address this, and adds that the mayor has a key role in providing leadership across London healthcare.
Helen McKenna, one of the report’s authors and senior fellow at The King’s Fund, said: “London is home to world-class health and care services, but also faces significant demographic, operational and workforce pressures.
“Its five STPs have a crucial role to play in working alongside NHS bodies, the mayor and the boroughs to improve services for patients, but are currently trailing behind STPs in other parts of the country.
“While progress is being made in improving services at a borough and neighbourhood level, the STPs need to do more to demonstrate their impact.
“Now is the time to review London’s complex and cluttered organisational landscape and develop a clear and compelling vision for the future of health and care for Londoners.”
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Image credit - MarioGuti