A number of significant policy changes have occurred in the last few years which will impact on the populations health and wellbeing and it is clear prevention will need to be everyone’s priority and this is coupled with the increasing budgetary pressures:
- The Better Care Fund came into place in April 2015 and allows further pooling of health and social care budgets and the ability to integrate services further. The main aim of the Better Care Fund is a drive towards integration and a seamless service user / patient experience being at the forefront of developments around health and social care.
- The Care Act has also come into force and introduced a wider duty to consider physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of individuals needing care and a duty to provide preventive services to prevent reduce and delay needs.
- The NHS 5 year forward view sets out a vision for a better NHS setting its ambition for a new relationship with patients and communities and importantly ‘getting serious about prevention.’