Amanda Pritchard, CEO of NHS England, has vowed that 42 new “integrated care systems” (ICS) released on Friday will “transform” the way healthcare is delivered and reduce preventable deaths. He cited these initiatives as examples of how ICS will set out to enhance the prevention of ill health, improve disease diagnosis and speed up patient admission to treatment. A GP clinic in Stockport has pioneered offering customers their betting blood pressure checks and has identified some who have had alarmingly high readings. During the jubilee weekend, for example, 75 people were evaluated and had previously done checks at a mall. NHS England has promised to put mental health staff, including wellness professionals, in GP clinics to help a growing number of people under the age of 18 with problems such as anxiety, depression and self-harm. “Integrated care systems have the power to really transform the way we care for people up and down the country. “Not only will the NHS provide care when someone is unwell or has an accident, but together with local government partners we must also act now and play a growing key role in managing human health so that we can capture more “Murder situations earlier and save lives,” Pritchard said. ICS is a strong new institution that has replaced the clinical assignment groups established in 2013. It will bring together all those providing different types of care in the NHS, such as GPs, acute hospitals and mental health services. But local councils will also be involved and will promote joint work to improve social care delivery. The British Heart Foundation welcomed the impetus for faster detection of high blood pressure, which is the leading cause of stroke and heart attack. “Strengthening Community health checks, such as monitoring blood pressure, is exactly what is needed after so many have been suspended during the pandemic. “These vital controls can help prevent and manage heart and circulatory diseases and even save lives, so it is very important that they are easily accessible to the community,” said John Maingay, director of policy and influence. Subscribe to the First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7 p.m. BST However, the British Medical Association has warned that staff shortages in the NHS and in social care could limit ICS ‘ability to improve health. “This marks the second major restructuring of the NHS in a decade, and important questions remain unanswered about the ability of integrated care systems to achieve the changes patients and physicians need, especially as they operate at a time when staff and services are still facing the intense pressures of the pandemic, “said Dr. David Wrigley, its vice president. “Ultimately, no reorganization can hide the fact that we simply do not have enough staff in the NHS or in the healthcare sector, and until the workforce crisis is resolved we will not really be able to provide people with the care they need and that worth”.
