Summary
In May 2024, the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC), supported by IMPOWER, a consultancy, convened a round table discussion of senior leaders drawn from all parts of the health and social care landscape [see Annex 1] to explore why we have not yet delivered the long-promised shift to more home and community-based care.[1]
‘The failure to grow and invest in primary and community health and care services despite the often-avowed intention to do so must rank as one of the most significant and long-running failures of policy and implementation in the NHS and social care over the past 30 years.’ [2]
Jeanette Dickson, Chair of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges
This paper explores what the new Government might do to break the cycle and to fully enable this essential transformational shift. It sets out the thinking of those experts who joined the discussion and articulates the arguments that, while well understood, are too often left in the ‘too difficult’ box.
In this regard, this paper builds on a wealth of work and literature already published by the Academy, statutory bodies, major think tanks, charities and others which has clearly established the case for such a shift, much of which is set out in the reading list at the end of this paper [Annex X].[3]
The four proposed actions to deliver the shift to community are:
1. Shifting the priorities, culture and delivery towards home-based care.
2. Reshaping care from a traditional medical model to a tech-enabled social model.
3. Growing the scale and quality of home and community-based care.
4. Changing where the money goes and what we measure for success.