Shifting the Balance of Care
The Shifting the Balance of Care workstream of Delivering for Health aims to improve the health of the people of Scotland by shifting the emphasis towards health improvement, preventative medicine and more continuous care in the community. This means providing care which is quicker, more personal and closer to home as well as enhancing services to deliver anticipatory care.
Delivering Integrated Care This will require integrated community teams that are equipped to deliver the agreed new models of care and will involve a wider range of partners and professionals, from health, social care, the voluntary sector and beyond in designing, developing and delivering these new integrated patient / care pathways.
Being 'done with' instead of 'done to'. Work has begun to shift the current view of patients as passive recipients of care towards full partners in the management of their conditions. This will include, when appropriate, anticipatory planning for individuals with long term conditions, supported self care and innovative tele-health solutions; allowing people to take control of their conditions and their lives.
Shifting the Balance of Care Policy Development
Shifting the Balance of Care outcomes are being developed by a Strategic Partnership Group, led by NHS, Local Authority and other partner organisations, and supported by the Scottish Executive. The Group has responsibility for developing models and guidance to assist partners to effect a shift in the proportion of care provided in different parts of the health and social care systems as well as to influence policy makers within the Scottish Executive to ensure that future developments support Shifting the Balance of Care. The Group also supports the development of a community based workforce strategy, models for aligning resources with care provision and a framework for community diagnostics. Some of the key outcome indicators will include reductions in:
• Admissions to Acute Hospitals through better primary, community and self care
• Out of Hours and A&E attendances through better planned care and community support
• Referral Rates for Outpatient Appointments through better community diagnostics
• Patients with Long-Term Conditions at Risk of Hospital Admission through better managed care
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