New Research to Help Harness Preventative Healthcare in ICSs
The NHS Confederation has said it is launching new research to better understand the barriers to harnessing preventative healthcare within integrated care systems (ICSs).
As part of the work, prevention measures being carried out at system, place, and neighbourhood level will be mapped out, with a focus on what stops collaborative prevention.
The NHS Confederation’s final report will be accompanied by a toolkit that will feature practical examples of how to overcome these challenges and drive population health.
System leaders will be needed to support communities
The research is open to volunteers, particularly those who are involved in delivering preventative care. The NHS Confederation says it is looking for three groups of people.
These include system leaders, including integrated care boards or integrated care partnerships; place leaders such as local government, patient organisations, voluntary, community, and social enterprise sectors, plus health and care providers. The third group of people it is looking for is neighbourhood leaders (primary care).
Matthew Taylor, the NHS Confederation’s Chief Executive, explained the importance of integrated care systems. He said: “Integrated care systems will play a key role in shifting resources towards preventing ill health and reducing avoidable exacerbation to support communities to live long and healthy lives.”
Leaders at system, place and neighbourhood levels participating in preventative initiatives should “seize the opportunity” to work on this research project, added Matthew.
The NHS Confederation is working with universities to conduct the research
In addition, the NHS Confederation has stated that it is well placed to support systems to identify examples of good practice and help facilitate scalable improvements.
The work is in collaboration with the University of Stirling, the University of Southampton, and the Newton Group.
Professor Paul Cairney of Stirling University and Professor John Boswell of Southampton University will lead the research and conduct focus groups with leaders.
In a joint statement, the Professors have said: “We have both long been interested in the political challenges associated with good faith efforts to make public policy more preventive and more collaborative.”
This research will be key in presenting a better understanding of the barriers to harnessing preventative healthcare within integrated care systems.
