Tony Watts OBE, is a partner of the NHS Older People’s Sounding Board, which we facilitate on behalf of NHS England. In this blog, Tony shares some insights from some of the Board members about having a big conversation around health.
The new Government has declared that “Our NHS is broken, but not beaten. Together we can fix it” as they open the door to a wide-ranging consultation programme. So where does this leave the NHS England Older People’s Sounding Board? In a better strategic place to make a positive difference than ever, argues Tony Watts OBE.
“The NHS has been there for us for over 76 years. But to make sure the NHS is here for the next 76 years, doing all it can to support the health of everyone, we need your help. We want to have the biggest-ever conversation about the future of the NHS.”
And so begins a nationwide consultation where the public, community organisations and NHS staff can propose changes… a consultation which will feed into a 10-year health plan that will have three main thrusts:
1. Hospital to community
2. Analogue to digital
3. Sickness to prevention
In summary, the Government recognises that that hospitals are expensive places to keep people well, making prevention better than cure… and moving more care back into our communities a priority; and that we need to make the very most of the technological breakthroughs now emerging – such as remote monitoring, earlier diagnostics and AI.
While it’s easy to be cynical and dismiss this as (yet) another consultation process which could delay the implementation of some of the vital changes we need, it is critical to recognise that the challenges the NHS and the care system face are so fundamental that it is vital to draw breath before leaping into reforms that might solve a problem in one part of the system… but not contribute towards the bigger picture.
What is most heartening is that the Government recognises that neither the politicians heading up the departments… nor the professionals within the health and care sectors, policymakers and civil servants…have all of the answers. There appears to be a real commitment to listening to the views of patients and carers.
The role of the NHS England Older People’s Sounding Board in all of this is not just to be one more body feeding into the consultation process, but the “expert lived experience network” of the single biggest user group of health and care services… because “what actually works” will carry a lot of weight.
Even a quick scan at some of the comments and input already made by the Sounding Board demonstrates just how clearly members appreciate the ways in which changes need to be made to make the NHS “work” for older people across all communities.
For example:
“We need to overhaul annual health checks and spend time to have proper discussions in order to arrive at person-centred health plans.”
“How can we design and deliver culturally appropriate health care?”
Critically, the Sounding Board is already “plugged” into the NHS, with its views being actively sought on a regular basis. This gives it a real opportunity to make a strategic difference.
Board members have already started this big conversation, for example, through addressing issues such as:
Your views will also be sought on how to maximise input from older people, with individuals sharing their experiences and making their suggestions, and by combining these with those of community organisations. Those contributions will need to be made here and here by 14 February 2025.
For all of us whose lives have been shaped from the cradle onwards by the NHS, and who are determined to make sure that its legacy will continue for future generations, it’s going to be a busy next few months!
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