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Chapter 12: Building a health service fit for the future: implications
Building a Health Service Fit for the Future: A National Framework for Service Change in the NHS in Scotland deals with health care services and has considerable significance for the development of those services over the coming years. With its emphasis on delivering care at the lowest level possible, however, and its vision of the NHS as a service delivered predominantly in local communities, the implications for community care and housing services are also considerable.
If people are going to be maintained at home whilst having NHS care, there will be a substantial need for other services from other providers - housing support services and care at home and other social work services provided by housing associations, local authorities and other organisations in the voluntary and independent sectors.
We have already drawn attention in this Report to whole systems working. The message from that is that if there is any rebalancing of care within the NHS, with patients being in the community much more than in the past, housing and social work services also have a part to play in helping to fulfil the Framework's vision. We have no doubt that housing and social work partners in care will be willing to respond to this challenge, but there are implications in terms of the ability of those services to respond, both in volume of service (with a need for greater financial resources) and workforce.
It is vital, therefore, that at local level a whole systems approach is applied from an early stage in implementing Building a Health Service Fit for the Future and Delivering for Health. At national level, the Scottish Executive needs to consider the implications for housing and social work, and how the consequential finance issues are addressed.
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