NEWS
T Healthcare organisations highlight the
importance of maintaining quality
he Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, Healthcare Financial
Management Association and NHS Confederation have outlined their views about how NHS organisations in the UK can drive quality and productivity whilst facing financial pressures.
In a joint paper, the three national bodies say it is crucial the issue is addressed in ways that are constructive to help maintain the gains in quality, access and activity that have been achieved over the past decade.
As national representatives of the NHS medical, finance and
managerial communities, the three organisations outline a number of common principles they believe will help NHS organisations minimise the impact tightened finances will have on services.
They include maintaining a focus on quality care for patients, improving clinical outcomes, and recognising the importance of delivering improved cost effectiveness for taxpayers.
The three organisations say medium and longer term gains from effective prevention should not be sacrificed to short-term budgetary expediency, and stress
the importance of involving the medical profession in devising and implementing strategies for addressing the issues faced in the coming years.
The Academy, HFMA and NHS Confederation have agreed to promote these principles and methods of working amongst their members and highlight good practice in delivering high quality, cost-effective care. They will also work together to help make the debate around service reconfiguration more informed.
Nigel Edwards, acting chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: “The NHS is
facing the greatest ever challenge to the way it works and the way it cares for patients.
“Now is the time for everyone working in our health service to focus on how best to provide improvements in care while working more efficiently.
“Our work with the Academy and HFMA aims to provide guidance to those people leading the health service through the challenging years ahead.
“We believe strong leadership and careful planning are crucial if we are to ensure patient care is not affected.”
T NICE Council votes for health incentives
he majority of an advisory group made up of members of the
public believes that incentive systems could be an effective way of encouraging people to change their unhealthy lifestyles providing that certain conditions are met.
The findings are outlined in a report published by NICE’s Citizens Council which was asked to consider whether there are circumstances when incentives could acceptably be used to help motivate people to live healthier lives.
While this approach is not commonly used in the UK to improve areas of public health, the Council heard of examples where local incentive schemes had been piloted.
These included an initiative to encourage pregnant women to stop smoking by offering supermarket vouchers; people
4 nhe
receiving cash for losing agreed amounts of weight and children being rewarded with toys in exchange for eating more fruit and vegetables.
By the end of the meeting, 20 out of the 32 members voted in favour of incentive schemes, providing conditions such as the following were in place: that incentives should never be exchangeable for tobacco or alcohol; that they are only offered to people who are committed to changing their health behaviours; that cash incentives should be only offered as a last resort; that the progress of participants is monitored throughout; and that the results of the schemes are analysed so that more can be learnt about their effectiveness.
The Council members agreed that incentive schemes are likely to work best when they are targeted and used as part of a wider programme of support.
They should also acknowledge the complex factors that motivate people to put their health at risk, such as by excessive eating or drinking, drug-taking, a lack of exercise or smoking.
Council members who voted against the use of incentives did so for reasons including uncertainty over their long term benefits due to a lack of evidence, their potential for abuse, their cost, and because of their perceived unfairness towards people who are able to live healthy lives without them.
NICE is now inviting members of the public to comment on the views of its Citizens Council before the report is presented to its board for consideration.
NICE chairman Sir Michael Rawlins said: “We clearly face several public health challenges in today’s society, some more obvious than others, and we must seek to improve these in
Sep/Oct 10
ways that are likely to achieve the best health outcomes for those affected. The majority of the Council has voted in favour of the use of incentives under certain circumstances, but this clearly remains a divisive issue.
“We are now very keen to hear what the general public thinks about their conclusions.”
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