A new decade for local health

Together with our local NHS and community partners we have been developing a plan, called A new decade for local health, to consider how, collectively over the next few years, we can implement new ways of working that improve the quality of services for local people while increasing productivity and reducing costs across the NHS. 

We believe these changes are necessary given the continued demands on the NHS and the government’s plans for the management of public expenditure. You may well already have been involved in some of the discussions we have had to date. These will continue as we seek to implement the plan and align it with some of the requirements emerging from the NHS White Paper published in July 2010.

We know that based on current financial forecasts and anticipated demand on services that across Portsmouth and south east Hampshire there will be a gap of about £230m over the next four years, if spending continues at the current rate and we do nothing to address it. While this presents a huge challenge, the plan considers a number of approaches that could be adopted, including:

• Productivity – doing the same but more efficiently – for example, ensuring all our facilities such as hospital theatres and beds are used as efficiently as possible and using staff to maximum effect
• System transformation – changing the way healthcare is delivered, such as reducing length of stay in hospital to free up resources for other patients, which has been done very effectively, for example, with hip operations over recent years
• Reviewing clinical evidence – ensuring patients are offered the most clinically appropriate treatment
• Looking at ways to use buildings and estate more effectively.

To date, the plan is the collaborative work of:

• Southampton, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth (SHIP) Cluster
• Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust
• Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust
• Solent NHS Trust 
• South of England SHA 

In addition, there has been strong GP leadership in the design and development of the plan, together with input from our local council colleagues.

Within the plan, a number of work streams have been identified that will lead specific parts of the project as it unfolds. Each of these has a significant agenda to address from which will emerge a range of proposals for change. 

We want to involve you in discussions and updates around some of these proposals and will use our website to keep you up-to-date with developments as they emerge.