Supporting community providers to manage and improve quality If you look at how the NHS is represented in the media, health care dramas tends to equal hospital dramas: ‘Casualty’, ‘Holby City’, even the marvellous ‘Getting on’. Community services often feature as slightly misty-eyed nostalgia of district nurses and midwives on bicycles – a bit of a blast from the past.
Hospitals can sometimes be busy, confusing places, to be avoided unless absolutely necessary, especially by people who are already vulnerable, frightened or confused. Care provided closer to (or in) people’s own homes is often preferable in many circumstances.
Today’s mantra is that co-ordinated care is better for people using health services, and will be better for the public purse too. Though no-one would argue with the former, the jury is still out on the latter. Community services are a vital part of delivering co-ordinated care, and could be the answer to many of the health service’s woes in the future.
Hospitals can sometimes be busy, confusing places, to be avoided unless absolutely necessary, especially by people who are already vulnerable, frightened or confused. Care provided closer to (or in) people’s own homes is often preferable in many circumstances.
Today’s mantra is that co-ordinated care is better for people using health services, and will be better for the public purse too. Though no-one would argue with the former, the jury is still out on the latter. Community services are a vital part of delivering co-ordinated care, and could be the answer to many of the health service’s woes in the future.
