The Department of Health and Social Care has launched an open call for comment asking for feedback on the health service and sharing intention to “have the biggest ever conversation about the future of the NHS”.
The call is open to all including members of the public, healthcare professionals and organisations and asks participants to share experiences and opinions, with health and social care secretary Wes Streeting highlighting that the feedback will help shape the government’s work on its 10-year plan to “turn the NHS around”.
The survey asks for perspectives on the “best” things about the NHS, the biggest challenges, whether respondents have experienced the challenges highlighted in the Darzi report in particular, and how respondents think the NHS can make improvements around the three main shifts outlined in the report. On the shift towards making better use of technology, the survey asks for views on how tech could be used to improve health and care; and any concerns around the increased use of tech in the future.
On the 10-year plan, Streeting states: “We want patients and NHS staff to have your fingerprints all over it… you see firsthand what is great but also what isn’t working. We need to hear your experiences of the NHS to get your ideas about how to change it.”
Individuals can take part here, and organisations are encouraged to share views here, with the platform also available via the NHS App.
For another opportunity to share views, check out our latest poll over on LinkedIn, asking what is holding the NHS back when it comes to innovation.
Recent updates from the DHSC
HTN highlighted plans from the UK government for two reviews exploring patient safety within the health system, examining firstly the roles and remits within six organisations overseen by the Department of Health and Social Care with a “significant” impact on patient safety, with a view to making recommendations on whether a different approach could offer improvements; and secondly focusing on quality and governance.
We also examined the recently published report looking into the operational effectiveness of the Care Quality Commission (CQC) here.
Other recent news has included the awarding of £12 million n funding for projects utilising innovative technologies such as AI, VR and wearable sensors in supporting people with drug addictions and reducing drug-related deaths.
We looked into Wes Streeting’s recent speech to the Royal College of General Practitioners, emphasising the role of technology in rebuilding and reforming general practice and emphasising data as “the future of the NHS”.
Finally, you can find HTN’s coverage of the Darzi report here; and our exploration of industry reactions to the review here.
