Open Access News Health & Social Care The role of a citizen-first approach to enable a preventative care future October 24, 2024 image: ©VILevi | iStock The NHS is poised for a transformative shift with the launch of Change.NHS . By prioritising the needs of vulnerable individuals and leveraging existing assets, we can move towards a future where prevention is the norm, not the exception This week, the new Labour Government launched Change.
NHS, a consultation aiming to reshape the future of health and care. One of the core areas for reform aims to shift the NHS from a reactive sick care system to a proactive health and wellbeing service that prevents deteriorating health conditions from the outset. In his Health in an Ageing Society report, Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Witty also stresses the importance of prioritising secondary prevention and screening services to support this long-term vision for care.
He advocates for improving the quality of life in adults’ later years by reducing disability and ill health and enabling people to live as independently and enjoyably as possible. Telecare and tech-enabled care can be critical in realising this preventive care vision. But as a nation, one thing is clear.
We spend a lot of time and energy talking about integrated care, prevention, and data-driven population health management, but we are not yet working consistently in this way. What is preventing us from really progressing towards prevention? Moving from a reactive.