Collaborative working in the NHS puts partnerships between clinicians and organisations at its foundation. We see this in action through patient engagement and the patient experience, both of which are priorities under the NHS Long Term Plan and the NHS’ Integrated Care protocols.
These partnerships are being pursued by the NHS – primarily through NHS England, due to devolution – with the goal of taking that difficult first step of making contact with other health and care organisations. Establishing regular communication channels and building connections takes time, something healthcare professionals don’t have a lot of, so they need incentive – or a nudge in the right direction in this case.
There are benefits to be gained though through greater communication though; better knowledge of treatment methods, of population trends, of patient needs… the list goes on. In this article we’ll guide you through what collaborative working entails. We’ll touch upon NHS Trusts in England (NHS health boards in Wales), though that topic is for a companion blog to this piece given how much there is to talk about on collaboration between trusts. Instead, this is a guide to explore what collaboration needs to succeed, and what you as a healthcare provider can do – whether inside the NHS or outside – to be engaging and cooperative.
Knowing how to achieve an outstanding CQC report starts with considering the CQC’s five key questions: are services safe, effective, caring, responsive, and well-led? These questions form the basis of the CQC’s inspection and assessment framework, and they address what the CQC needs to see in terms of high-quality, safe, and person-centred care.
This article will break down the methodology behind the CQC’s rating process. We will share proven strategies that you can implement to improve your CQC rating. By committing to these strategies and continuously striving for excellence, you can work towards getting your own outstanding rating.
Person-centred care means the person is placed at the heart of their care. This ensures that the person has a choice in how they want their care and support delivered. By keeping the person fully informed they can contribute to their own safeguarding.
Person-centred care is especially important in care planning where it is now recognised as a key driver of the provision of high quality care.
Person-centred care’s benefits are:
- Flexibility: Individuals are free to tailor their care to their own needs instead of having a one-size-fits-all solution forced upon them.
- Responsibility: By giving individuals the responsibility to make their own care decisions, they become more empowered and engaged.
- Autonomy: Individuals who are responsible for their own health are more incentivised to make better lifestyle choices such as healthy eating and regular exercise.
- Independence: By enhancing the quality of individuals’ care they become less reliant on health services and more able to remain independent for longer.
- Happiness: Individuals who know they are receiving the most suitable care for their needs will be less anxious, more confident, and more happy.
In this article, we will define person-centred care, share examples of person-centred care in action and explain why it is important for health and social care.
Reflective practice in health and social care brings a wide range of benefits for health and social care professionals, patients, and their loved ones. With the approach often being embedded within training across many industries, reflective practice predominantly started in healthcare where the approach was heavily adopted across different industries with health and social care now at the forefront.
But, what exactly is reflective practice and why is reflective practice important in health and social care?
At the Access Group, we are aware many different approaches are being advised to help improve outcomes and care delivery. We understand that reflective practice goes further than talking or writing about your day, instead, it is about analytically evaluating your experiences to deliver better person-centred care in the future.
By the end of this article, you will have a better understanding of what reflective practice is in health and social care and how it may differ between the two, as well as how it works, why it is important, and how often reflective practice should be used.
Brokerage in social care and healthcare helps to navigate the complex landscape of health and social care services. The King’s Fund identifies that brokering is essential to the integrated healthcare system as a future model for the health and social care market.
The services brokered or procured across the health and social care market can differ depending on the sector such as care, aged care, healthcare, and social care.
But, what does brokerage mean within healthcare and social care and what benefits does it provide to individuals and the wider market?
At Access Adam Care Commissioning, we are dedicated to helping local authorities reach the increasing demand whilst still delivering the best quality care at a fraction of the price. We are committed to ensuring all local authorities make better use of the resources around them to facilitate seamless adaptation of support services to meet both your community’s health and social care needs now and in the future.
By the end of this article, you should fully understand what brokerage is in healthcare and social care, why it is important, and the benefits it offers individuals, care providers, care commissioners, health and social care professionals, and the wider community. This article will also review the challenges of brokerage in health and social care and what are the best ways to overcome this.
Medicines management or medicines optimisation is defined as ‘the clinical, cost-effective and safe use of medicines to ensure people get the maximum benefits from the medicines they need, while at the same time, minimising potential harm’ by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency.
Unfortunately, the frequency of medication errors in UK care homes has increased, which compromises the safety of residents across the UK and tarnishes the reputation of care homes.
Are you concerned about medicine errors and the associated risks in your care home? Perhaps you’ve recently had a near miss, or are anxious about when one might happen?
Social determinants of health (SDH) are non-medical factors that influence health outcomes. Numerous factors can affect people’s health and wellbeing. Currently, 1 in 5 GP appointments are for addressing social issues.
With the World Health Organisation identifying that social issues can be more crucial than lifestyle choices and can account for up to 55% of health outcomes, there has never been a more important time to improve the health and wellbeing of the individuals in your community.
The wider social determinants of health must be addressed to overcome the health inequalities and health inequities across different communities. But, what exactly are they, how do they affect people’s health, and most importantly how best can you overcome them?
Social prescribing offers an alternative non-clinical method to improve an individual’s health and wellbeing.
Patient data is personal medical information held by a healthcare provider. It is information about demographics (name, address, contact details), admin (appointments, waiting lists) and key medical details about any conditions, symptoms or treatments.
Data protection in healthcare is a hot topic as the demand for access to healthcare data grows. To achieve this, healthcare providers are typically using patient portals so that people can access their own information, but data sharing in healthcare carries inherent risk regarding access to this highly personal information.
Securing patient records is a little easier thanks to the healthcare data standards enshrined in law, but there’s still an onus on health and care organisations to provide further safeguards against attack, theft, or privacy breaches.
In this article we will explore why data security is so important in healthcare, the specific issues facing security and how to address them, as well as the costs of data security issues in healthcare and our recommendations for electronic patient records.
Getting organisations and services within the NHS to collaborate has been a goal for many years, but with the NHS Long Term Plan well underway, collaboration is now firmly in focus.
You may have already read our previous article about Collaborative Working in the NHS, which is the crux of the subject matter, but NHS Trusts in England are a big part of the execution of this collaboration.
In this article we’ll explore how NHS England is enacting this collaboration and what it entails, as well as looking at the FutureNHS collaboration platform and the role it is playing in encouraging communication and partnerships across the country. NHS Trusts will already be aware of the NHS collaboration goals, but we want you the reader to see this and to see our top tips for Trusts about how to foster these relationships and establish the correct communication channels. We want our readers to come away from this article thinking that they have a much better understanding of – and an appetite for – collaborative working, and that starts here.
