Health and social care charity coalition National Voices has launched its new five-year strategy, signalling the organisation’s commitment to tackling health inequalities and fostering partnerships across the healthcare sector to drive change.
National Voices represents more than 200 charities in England, with its new plan a product of engagement with much of its member base.
After internal deliberations, the organisation settled on three main policy focuses:
- ending unequal access;
- transferring power to people and communities; and
- shifting the measures of success.
Unequal access
National Voices aims to eradicate the health inequalities that are caused by stigma, prejudice, racism, sexism and transphobia, and only compounded by the wider pressures in the system – i.e., funding and workforce shortages.
Part of this work will be helping integrated care systems gather and use data more sophisticatedly so leaders better understand who is and is not accessing care.
Making sure technological advancements do not leave people behind is another action, as well as providing additional support for people while they wait for care – in recognition of the mental and physical tolls long waits have.
Power devolution
National Voices intends to democratise decision-making in the health system, with patients routinely offered meaningful choice and control over their support.
Communities and the third sector organisations that exist within them will be empowered as key parts of infrastructure on both a local and national level.
The organisations will also be championing co-production – both in terms of the frequency of engagement and its quality.
Reimagining success
Rather than continuing with the focus on key performance indicators like the overall elective backlog, National Voices says patient experience statistics should be embedded into the way the health service measures success.
This particular shift would be supported by the expanded use of National Voices’ I Statements which centre around being listened to, effectively communicated with, and not forgotten.
Ultimately, the organisation wants a more outcome-centric approach to success measuring.
Major cultural shift
Jacob Lant, CEO at National Voices, said: “We are proud to launch our strategy for 2024-2029, which clearly sets out the trajectory of how we think our ‘broken NHS’ can be repaired. The key is to refocus the system around patient needs and experiences, especially those facing the worst health inequalities.
“This will require a major cultural shift that puts more power in the hands of patients and communities. And at its heart, the NHS will be judging its success not by how many appointments or operations it has delivered, but by the health outcomes it has helped people to achieve.”
Helen Buckingham, chair at National Voices, added: “Here at National Voices, we exist to amplify the voices of people who use health and care services so that those who deliver those services understand what matters most to them – equitable access, decisions about services made with people who use these services and success measured by real improvements in experience.
“We will ensure the patient voice is loud and clear – the onus now will be on decision-makers at every level in the health and care system to listen to that voice and act on what they hear.”
To hear more from Jacob Lant on these issues, listen to the latest edition of the National Health Executive podcast which will be live on Thursday.
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