New tools for helping care for people with Long Term Conditions
Dr Martin McShane has welcomed the publication of three new handbooks aimed at planning services for people with long term conditions.
The handbooks, which can be accessed online, are aimed at supporting commissioners and practitioners in planning services for people with long term conditions (LTCs), in order to achieve more effective, personalised care.
Dr McShane, NHS England’s Director for Patients with Long Term Conditions, explained: “LTCs currently account for £7 of every £10 health and social care spend in England.
“If we are to tackle the demands that long term conditions create for the health and care system then we are going to have to adapt and evolve our approaches to meet the needs of the future rather than the problems of the past. This is clearly articulated in the Five Year Forward View.
“We are going to need to proactively identify people, work with them to create a plan and support professionals to work as a team to deliver the best possible care. The need for more personalised, person centred care which engages with the individual and understand their goals and the support they have from carers and the community they live in is vital, if we are to have a sustainable NHS.”
The guides cover three key areas: identifying people in the population with LTCs that are most vulnerable and at risk of unplanned hospital admissions; planning personalised care and support; and best-practice multi-disciplinary working across professional and organisational boundaries. The handbooks are available on NHS England’s website.