22.03.16
NHS leaders struggling to implement Five Year Forward View
NHS leaders are struggling to implement the Five Year Forward View (FYFV) and keep their organisations financially sustainable, according to a new survey.
The survey from Grant Thornton UK LLP found that three-fifths of respondents say the FYFV, which promotes goals including using resources efficiently, finding local solutions and removing barriers between health and social care, has had little or no impact on their local health economy and 46% believe they do not have a shared strategy to implement the FYFV.
Grant Thornton said that NHS organisations could be struggling with the FYFV for reasons including pressures on staff meaning they lack the time to take on leadership roles and unclear leadership roles due to silos across different NHS bodies.
The report also found serious financial concerns among NHS organisations, with 59% of trusts failing to deliver their 2014-15 cost improvement programme and 77% reliant on non-recurrent savings, and 74% of organisations feeling it is definite or likely that their organisation will post a deficit by 2020.
The number of foundation trusts with red warnings, meaning systematic weaknesses in their organisation’s financial management that could lead to financial failure if not addressed, is at the highest level ever.
According to the latest figures from Monitor, 179 out of 240 NHS providers are reporting a deficit.
Mark Stocks, partner from public sector assurance at Grant Thornton, said: “As the NHS moves towards new models of care, organisations are considering how they can deliver high quality, innovative and integrated services under a risk-aware patient-led culture. However, our study shows that the pace of change in many a number of health economies is painfully slow. Many NHS leaders have witnessed resistance to significant and sustainable change due to the unique and cherished nature of the NHS.
“Our research shows that changing the culture of health and social care needs to be a planned and iterative process. It requires local health economy partners to unlock formal and informal cultural values and behaviours and to find commonality on health and social care outcomes.”
A report by the King’s Fund last year warned that the NHS may lack the staffing levels to successfully deliver the Five Year Forward View.
Last year Paul Hughes, head of NHS Providers at Grant Thornton, wrote for NHE about their annual review of NHS governance.
Grant Thornton's full report can be viewed here.