NSF Going Forward

Making Progress with the NSF

We know that the next few years will present us with a number of challenges and we want to support colleagues in front-line activity both in social care and primary care to deal with an expected budget deficit.  The NHS faces an unprecedented set of complex challenges, which it must face whilst achieving a vision for high quality care.  

Although neurological conditions affect a significant proportion of the population (it is estimated that 8 million people in England live with a neurological condition), there is no specific reference to neurological conditions in the Operating Framework, despite the fact that they account for approximately 20% of acute hospital admissions and are the third most common reason for seeing a GP. 

• It is estimated that 350,000 people across the UK need help with daily living because of a neurological condition and 850,000 people care for someone with a neurological condition.
• By 2026 one in five people will be aged 65 or over (The King’s Fund, 2006). The ageing population is on average getting older, and between 2008 and 2032 the number of over-85s will have doubled.
• In 2032 it is projected that there will be 3.1 million over-85s (Office for National Statistics, 2008) and costs are set to rise creating a significant funding gap. The Government calculates the difference between projected costs of adult social care and potential growth in government expenditure amounts to £6 billion (HM Government, 2008).

A two-stage transformation strategy is underway and led by two key publications:

• 'Putting People First' (December 2007)
• 'Shaping the Future of Care Together'  (July 2009)

With a  focus on care closer to home and strategies to support hospital avoidance measures, the team provide an independent view, providing an objective and non-threatening approach that is supportive across public sector boundaries, working alongside the third sector.

Through effective networking we have developed links with individual contacts and groups and we have built strong and valued relationships with a wide range of people.  The team are well placed to continue supporting achieving the aspirations of the NSF and are excited by the opportunities that these challenging times will present. Addressing health inequalities through promotion of early intervention strategies for long term conditions before they become acute is a driver that can deliver some real efficiency savings and, more importantly, improve the quality of care and support the system is able to offer.

Investing in the services envisaged by this NSF is important in ensuring that people with a long-term neurological condition can live independently and improve their quality of life, as well as ensuring that National Health Service resources are used more effectively. By raising our game on prevention and early intervention and working more collaboratively and embracing innovation, it is clear that we can transform the vision and values of the NSF into reality. Over recent months the team have been facilitating a number of national conferences such as “Levers for Change” events which were designed to engage with third sector colleagues and statutory commissioners to embrace the values of World Class Commissioning.