A new relationship with people and communities

The report from the People and Communities Board to the Chief Executive of NHS England

In autumn 2016 the People and Communities Board (PCB), as part of the NHS Five Year Forward View, was invited by NHS England Chief Executive Simon Stevens to recommend a set of ‘high impact actions’ for accelerating the adoption of person and community-centred approaches to health and care. 

This project has arisen from the board’s work to champion and support the delivery of Chapter 2 of the Five Year Forward View. Chapter 2 sets out the vision of a health and care system which fully engages people in their health, care and wellbeing, including by working in partnership with communities and the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector. 

The report 'A new relationship with people and communities' outlines six high impact actions and related recommendations, supported by evidence and illustrated by examples. The actions address key pinch points in the NHS, where substantial progress can be made in the next 12 months, and where the actions can build energy around the broader agenda of changing the culture of healthcare. The annex - 'Voluntary sector proposals' - highlights approaches or interventions developed in the VCSE sector, which have been tested and evaluated and which have the potential for wider adoption.

"The job of making health and care services people-focussed is a shared one. It requires working in partnership with patients, carers and communities; a more strategic relationship between the third sector and statutory services; a stronger emphasis on fairness and inclusion, and smarter methods for adopting and spreading social innovations."

Jeremy Taylor, Chief Executive of National Voices and Chair of the People and Communities Board