London Health Libraries

27 February 2008

Drivers for Change

• World Class Commissioning

• NHS Operating Framework

• Healthcare for London

World Class Commissioning

• Old Wine in a new bottle…..?

• “Adding life to years and years to life”

• Aim to improve effectiveness of commissioning by focussing resources on addressing health needs and getting better value for money

• “Better health and wellbeing for all, better care for all, and better value for all”

World Class Commissioning

• Clear understanding of current and future health needs

• An evidence based approach: “they will need advanced knowledge management”

• Heavy emphasis on partnerships across health and social care

• Focus of care to shift from diagnosis and treatment to prevention and well being

World Class Commissioning

Commissioners need to acquire knowledge, skills, behaviour and characteristics by developing as set of 11 core organisational competencies

These competencies include managing knowledge and undertaking robust and regular needs assessments

NHS Operating Framework

• DoH sets out priorities and guidance for the coming financial year

• Aimed at SHAs, PCTs and NHS Trusts (but what about Foundation Trusts?)

• Document talks of “enshrining the ability of local NHS organisations to have greater autonomy in determining their own priorities”

BUT…..

NHS Operating Framework

• Large part devoted to DoH ambitions for local NHS organisations, mainly for delivery in next financial year

• Also designed to inform planning for next 3 years

• 5 National “must do’s” and a range of other ambitions

• Does not take account of Prime Minister’s 3rd Stage of NHS Reform

NHS Operating Framework

National Must Do’s

• Reduce number of healthcare associated infections

• Access – improve waiting times for treatment both in hospital and primary care

• Improve health and reduce inequalities• Demonstrate responsiveness to patient

experience and staff satisfaction surveys• Prepare for emergencies

OPPORTUNITIES FOR LIBRARY SERVICES?

World Class Commissioning• What part to play in knowledge management?

Operating Plans• Role in ensuring information on care pathways is

accessible to all partners, patients and the community?

• Role in assuring staff training and development is founded on a high quality knowledge base?

Healthcare for London

• Proposals based on ideas in “A Framework for Action” (review by Lord Ara Darzi), published July 2007

• Consultation period for Healthcare for London runs until March 7th

• In the summer, committee of PCTs will consider feedback & decide on framework for health services in the capital

Healthcare for London - 5 principles

• Services focused on individual needs & choices

• Services should be localised where possible, or regionalised where that improves quality of care

• Joined-up care & partnership working, maximising contribution of the whole workforce

• Prevention is better than cure

• Focus on reducing differences in health & healthcare across London

Healthcare for London - what do these principles mean in practice?

• More care closer to home – in the home itself, in polyclinics and local hospitals. Larger hospitals will handle more complex procedures

• More staff will be “on the move” – larger community healthcare teams, specialists holding clinics in the community etc.. Currently 61% of staff are based in acute Trusts – this will change over time

• Staff with different skills & capacities will be needed

• Partnership working needs to improve – with social care, local authorities, voluntary sector, private sector etc..

• Efficient IT systems will be vital to make this vision a reality

Healthcare for London - what does it mean for health library services?

• Shift from print to electronic resources will gather greater momentum – BUT there will still need to be “learning spaces”

• Greater use of decision making tools such as Map of Medicine – need for library staff to be involved

• Potential for greater use of mobile technologies – PDAs, mobile phones, iPODs

• Role for library & knowledge staff in workforce development – information skills training, e-learning

• Each polyclinic will have a “health information centre” – could these be developed and managed by a partnership of health & public library staff, with voluntary sector organisations ?