Health and care organisations across Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire released a summary on Tuesday of their Sustainability and Transformation Plan ahead of full publication in the coming weeks.
Overall, across B&NES, Swindon and Wiltshire (BSW) the standard of health and care services compare well to other areas of England.
However, there are still improvements that need to be made to make sure services are the best they can be – and are sustainable now and in future years.
Health organisations have joined with local authority partners and other key stakeholders to work together to create the shared five-year vision to meet the increasing health and care needs of the population – while ensuring services are sustainable and affordable.
Whilst the B&NES Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) recognise that they are at an early stage in the planning process, they are sharing the summary to begin to build on work undertaken to date with their clinical and non-clinical teams and share their current thinking ahead of wider engagement.
The summary sets out their emerging priorities to improve health and care services for the 874,000 people who use local services.
It proposes new ways of working together in order to meet the many challenges facing the health and care system and provides the framework within which detailed proposals for how services across B&NES, Wiltshire and Swindon will develop between now and 2020/21.
A key theme throughout the STP is an increased focus on preventing ill health and promoting peoples’ independence through the provision of more joined up services in or closer to peoples’ homes.
Five priority areas have been identified as key programmes of work:
- More focus on prevention of ill health and earlier intervention;
- Transforming Primary Care;
- Making best use of technology and our public estate;
- A modern workforce;
- Improved collaboration across our hospital trusts.
James Scott, Senior Responsible Officer for the BSW STP, said: “The NHS and social care is currently under significant pressure and we know that demand on services will only continue to grow.
“Our STP summary sets out a strategic direction that will enable us to engage with our citizens, and those that care for them, to agree the steps we’re going to take to design services that meet this projected increase in demand with the resources we will have.
“Our plan sets out the need to support people to stay healthier and independent longer. We need to reduce the duplication, variation and potential gaps between the various health and social care services to ensure a consistent service for those who need them.
“And we need to make better use of new technology to support people to monitor their own health and wellbeing with access to the right information and support.
“Our shared aim is to ensure that everyone can continue to receive excellent high quality care whenever they need it, both now and in the future.”
The BSW Sustainability and Transformation Plan summary is available to download at: banesccg.nhs.uk/stp-summary.
It will be discussed at a public meeting of the Health and Wellbeing Board in Bath and North East Somerset on 7th December.
Bath MP Ben Howlett said: “I would like to congratulate the work of NHS Bath and North East Somerset and the Royal United Hospital on their nationally leading Strategic Transformation Plan.
“It has been recognised as an example of best practice and the plans will make a significant difference to the lives of patients in Bath.
“The STPs will help to increase the use of modern technologies, increase collaboration and focus on preventing ill health with earlier intervention. I look forward to working with the new STP with my colleagues in Parliament across Wiltshire, Swindon and B&NES.”