In a dynamic discussion at Chamber’s Midland’s Seminar held in partnership with IQVIA, panellists shared their insights on integration, healthcare challenges, and the pressing need for systemic changes. The panel featured Naomi Eisenstadt, Dr Mike Bewick, and Sir Bruce Keogh, with Angela McFarlane leading the discussion as the chair.
- Naomi Eisenstadt, Chair of Northamptonshire Integrated Care Board
- Mike Bewick, Former NHS England executive
- Bruce Keogh, Chair of Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Trust
- Angela McFarlane, (Panel Chair)
Addressing Health Inequalities
Naomi opened the discussion by expressing her passion for tackling health inequalities, particularly emphasising the importance of addressing poverty and child poverty. Noami underscored the need for clear definitions of integration and collaboration and highlighted the importance of understanding the needs of end-users and the necessity of open negotiations to bridge the gap between service providers and recipients.
“I think that we use the language of integration and collaboration too loosely. And each of us has a different think bubble about what it means. And to me, the most important thing about integration and collaboration is the way that frontline workers work together in the interface with the end user, patient, pupil, child.”
Naomi Eisenstadt
Naomi also discussed her role at Nottinghamshire ICB stating “One of the things that really surprised me when I took on the role of chair of an integrated care board is that I thought the main job was about bringing together health and local government social care. And I didn’t realise how much of the job was about bringing together the internal bits of the NHS itself”
Bruce then offered a unique perspective on integration. Drawing on his experience while working at the Department of Health, Keogh stressed the need to simplify patient journeys and reduce friction in healthcare systems. He defined inequalities as avoidable, unfair differences in outcomes, proposing that integration could address these issues. Keogh called for a shift in focus towards economic benefits, asserting that investing in health is an investment in the economy.
“we run a pretty fragmented healthcare service, where everywhere you go, you’re having to not just give your name, but tons of other details, and things fall between the cracks. So I think integration starts with making the journey for those people that we’re trying to help, more convenient, easier, simpler, and with less fractures where things can fall between the cracks”
Mike Bewick: Workforce, Culture, and Public Health are Crucial
Mike Bewick, a former NHS England executive, delved into the challenges faced by integrated care systems. He acknowledged the difficulties arising from the aftermath of the pandemic, workforce crises, and strikes within the healthcare sector. Bewick identified three critical themes: workforce, culture, and public health. He emphasized the need for a paradigm shift in workforce training, including a focus on digital integration and fostering a culture that encourages reporting and addresses inequalities. He stated “There’s a commitment now from both parties, I think cross government now cross party, that we need to increase the workforce that it’s fallen behind the numbers that can produce. And go back to your point, Bruce. A safe service requires access, requires trained people to deliver health care. Fundamentally, the inequalities will not get better unless we set the scene there”.
Bruce Keogh – When I hear people around the NHS talking about workforce, it basically boils down to recruitment, retention and return. And somehow the idea that if we just carry on doing what we’re doing now, we’ll get enough staff. I don’t accept that. If you look at data coming out of the World Health Organization or the OECD, there is a clear indication that worldwide, in terms of healthcare workforce, we’re going to be somewhere between 16 and 30 million people short by 2030. Now, that’s only a few years away. We are not going to be exempt from that. So continuing just to think that if we try harder in this workforce space, that we’re going to solve the problem is to delude ourselves. And that’s going to mean some cultural changes, it’s going to mean some technological changes, and it’s going to mean some changes in the way that we think creatively.
Healthcare Technology
Regarding healthcare technology, the critical question of aligning software and systems with the requirements of frontline clinicians took center stage. Mike Bewick emphasized the need for a customer-centric approach. “It’s about asking the customers – the clinicians – what they want and what their requirements are,” Bewick stated. He highlighted the importance of developing technology that directly addresses healthcare service needs rather than expecting the health service to adapt to new tech.
Bruce Keogh added, “Demonstrating that the technology improves the quality of care and makes the lives of healthcare providers easier is key.” He stressed the significance of showcasing tangible benefits to gain widespread acceptance.
As the dialogue unfolded, the challenges of navigating regulations and procurement requirements emerged. The need for individuals capable of staying updated on evolving standards and guiding companies through these complexities was underscored The discussion also touched on the necessity of fostering a culture that is less risk-averse. Participants agreed that encouraging collaboration and timely reporting on initial experiences would enable informed investment decisions for companies and organizations serving the healthcare sector.
Naomi brought attention to the difficulties of data integration in the healthcare system, citing a longstanding issue of achieving agreement between different departments. She challenged conventional notions of data protection, suggesting that it might hinder equitable access to health resources for low-income families. because for 15 years, we’ve been trying to get the Department of Health and the Department for Education to agree that there should be one NHS number, not a unique pupil identifier and a different NHS number. And unless you get agreement on systems to collect data in the same way, you’ll never get the benefits of data and data integration
The consensus among the experts was that for technology to succeed in the healthcare sector, it must unequivocally prove its value. This involves not only enhancing the quality of care but also simplifying the work of those delivering the services.
A Call for Systemic Changes in Healthcare
The panel discussion provided a comprehensive overview of the challenges and opportunities in healthcare integration. The speakers collectively underscored the importance of redefining collaboration, simplifying patient journeys, addressing economic benefits, and implementing systemic changes in workforce training and culture. As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve, these insights serve as a catalyst for reshaping policies and practices to ensure equitable and effective healthcare delivery.
Watch the full video here: