latest health care news

07.09.18

PHE chief executive Selbie on public health and care: ‘We cannot keep doing what we’ve always done’

The boss of Public Health England (PHE) outlined his thoughts behind social care and public health in the UK during an event yesterday, claiming that “we cannot keep doing what we’ve always done.”

Speaking at Health Expo 2018 in Manchester, chief executive Duncan Selbie noted that despite major progressions in English public health, such as world-leading HIV treatment, plummeting teenage pregnancy rates, and lower smoking rates, inequality around the country has led to a gulf in health between different societies.

Selbie said: “There’s something worth clocking that the poor today are enjoying the health of the affluent 20 years ago. Despite 40 years of a nationally-funded universal healthcare system, there’s been no shift at all over those years between the poor and the affluent about their health.

“This is not just a health issue for the individual and their families, but for the economy. I think the ambition is about how we use the NHS less, how we use it later in life, how we help people to stay well for longer, and when they’re not well, to stay in their own homes for longer. This is not just about the NHS.”

The PHE boss, who spoke about much the same thing to NHE earlier this year, added that health bosses are “missing the point” if they rely on technology innovation to relieve mounting pressures on social care in communities.

“If we continue to think about the next bit of technology or the next discovery, then we’re missing the point,” he told delegates. “The population is aged beyond our ability; we can’t just keep doing what we’ve always done.

“I’m trying very much to keep away from the 80% of things that matter much more than we do to good health— which is: do I have a job? Enough money to live on? Do I have somewhere to live, where it’s safe and warm and I’m not afraid to go out of the front door? Do I have friendship, companionship, and belonging? It’s not patients, it’s people.”

Selbie’s comments could offer a different perspective to social care compared to the government: during a Q&A session yesterday after a technology-inspired speech to delegates, health secretary Matt Hancock argued that embracing digital advancements would allow “some of the most intractable problems that face us in social care.”

“It’s not conditions, diseases, institutions, or proliferations, it’s people living in places — and it’s people with families,” said Selbie. “And the biggest determinant of outcome is not what we’re doing in a renal clinic but money in your pocket.”

Yesterday Hancock unveiled a £200m digital fund and five app trials, as he described the NHS’s IT systems as “stuttering” and argued that they are putting lives at risk.

Enjoying NHE? Subscribe here to receive our weekly news updates or click here to receive a copy of the magazine!

Image credit: Joe Giddens, PA Images

Comments

There are no comments. Why not be the first?

Add your comment

national health executive tv

more videos >

featured articles

View all News

last word

Haseeb Ahmad: ‘We all have a role to play in getting innovations quicker’

Haseeb Ahmad: ‘We all have a role to play in getting innovations quicker’

Haseeb Ahmad, president of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), sits down with National Health Executive as part of our Last Word Q&A series. Would you talk us throu more > more last word articles >

health service focus

View all News

comment

NHS England dementia director prescribes rugby for mental health and dementia patients

23/09/2019NHS England dementia director prescribes rugby for mental health and dementia patients

Reason to celebrate as NHS says watching rugby can be good for your mental ... more >
Peter Kyle MP: It’s time to say thank you this Public Service Day

21/06/2019Peter Kyle MP: It’s time to say thank you this Public Service Day

Taking time to say thank you is one of the hidden pillars of a society. Bei... more >

interviews

Matt Hancock says GP recruitment is on the rise to support ‘bedrock of the NHS’

24/10/2019Matt Hancock says GP recruitment is on the rise to support ‘bedrock of the NHS’

Today, speaking at the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) annual... more >

the scalpel's daily blog

Covid-19 can signal a new deal with the public on health

28/08/2020Covid-19 can signal a new deal with the public on health

Danny Mortimer, Chief Executive, NHS Employers & Deputy Chief Executive, NHS Confederation The common enemy of coronavirus united the public side by side wi... more >
read more blog posts from 'the scalpel' >