CSIP NSF for Long-term Conditions Regional Events

In March 2006, the Care Services Improvement Partnership hosted a series of events around the country on behalf of the Department of Health. 

The events enabled organisations to develop their understanding of the NSF requirements and provided opportunities for local partners to identify the next steps for implementation.

Over 550 delegates signed up to attend the six events.  The morning session saw Ian Philp, National Director for Long Term Conditions and Kathryn Hudson, National Director for Social Care, deliver the keynote speeches and gave delegates time to consider how to move forward locally in their workshops.  The afternoon session concentrated on some of the key development areas for services to meet the quality requirements in the NSF.

A copy of the programme is available here: Conference Programme

For detail on your local event and the morning presentations, please visit the local events page

For detail on the themed workshops and the afternoon presentations, please visit the themed workshop page

Overall Themes from the Events

• The NSF is welcomed, although there is a concern that it does not have targets and milestones to work towards.  Requests to develop some targets were heard at all events.
• It was felt by delegates that the NSF should be rebranded and relaunched due to the confusion with the Health and Social Care Model.
• The implementation date is a long way off and therefore low on implementation agendas.  However, delegates recognised the importance of linking initiatives such as the White Paper and Practice Based Commissioning to Long Term Conditions and to use the targets set for these to move forward earlier.
• The reorganisation going on within Health is affecting capacity - Development work is being most affected. Delegates felt that clear responsibilities being given would aid local services putting NSF implementation on Chief Officer agendas. Strong national and local leadership is required.
• Little baseline work has been carried out and systems do not know who their partners are.  Some areas have started mapping their services to rectify this but delegates felt there remained a lack of clarity about who should be working together and how they can move forward.
• There is no robust data available on which to develop sound financial plans and commissioning arrangements. Delegates felt Trust boards need to be re-educated to see the need for long term planning & investment.
• While there is a desire to work collaborately, the Voluntary Sector are finding it difficult to engage statutory partners in any meaningful way.  It was felt that the NSF does support the development of user led services though.
• Many good practice examples are already working.
• Regardless of negatives, the people involved are passionate and will not go away!

Delegates identified areas they required further support.  These included

• National milestone development.
• Network development.
• Development of joint performance management structure.
• Development of reporting mechanisms specifically for neurological conditions.
• Sharing good practice
• Development of the Long Term Conditions website for information sharing
• CSIP to provide facilitated days to bring local networks together
• CSIP role to support commissioners
• A national “blueprint” to help set up neuroscience networks.
• Developing the evidence around patient experience.