The NHS Confederation is launching new research to better understand the barriers to harnessing preventative healthcare within integrated care systems.
Prevention measures being carried out at system, place and neighbourhood level will be mapped out as part of the work, with a focus on what stops collaborative prevention.
The NHS Confederation says its final report will be accompanied by a toolkit that features practical examples of how to overcome these challenges and drive population health.
“Integrated care systems will play a key role…”
The research is open to volunteers, particularly those involved in delivering preventative care. The NHS Confederation says it is looking for:
- System leaders – integrated care boards, integrated care partnerships
- Place leaders – local government, patient organisations, voluntary, community and social enterprise sector, health and care providers
- Neighbourhood leaders – primary care
The NHS Confederation’s chief executive, Matthew Taylor, says: “Integrated care systems will play a key role in shifting resources towards preventing ill health and reducing avoidable exacerbation to support communities to live long and healthy lives.”
Leaders at system, place and neighbourhood levels participating in preventative initiatives should “seize the opportunity” to work on this research project, adds Taylor.
“We have both long been interested in the political challenges…”
The NHS Confederation says it is well placed to support systems identify examples of good practice and help facilitate scalable improvements.
The work is in collaboration with the University of Stirling, the University of Southampton, and the Newton Group.
Professor Paul Cairney of Stirling university and Professor John Boswell of Southampton university will lead the research and conduct focus groups with leaders.
In a joint statement, the professors say: “We have both long been interested in the political challenges associated with good faith efforts to make public policy more preventive and more collaborative.”
Working with system leaders to better understand how new arrangements are impacting preventative work is something to look forward to, they add. This is alongside what practical steps can be pushed forward.
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